Sarah is a Policy Analyst working on physician compensation at Alberta Health. Originally from Edmonton, Sarah moved to Ontario to complete a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Science in Global Health from McMaster University. During that time, she had the opportunity to live in Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia to work in the field of maternal and infant health for organizations such as CIDA and UNICEF. Sarah returned to Edmonton two years ago, and is enjoying taking in everything the vibrant and youthful city has to offer. When Sarah's not working, she's checking out the incredible food trucks and restaurants around town, going to concerts and summer festivals (especially Folk Fest!), trying her hand (or feet) at hip hop, and traveling to new and exciting places (50 countries and counting)!

Shayne is the Civic Co-Chair of the Voice Working Group and a lawyer with the City of Edmonton Law Branch. Shayne completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science from McGill University, and is a recent graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law . During law school, Shayne was the Coordinator of the Legal Education and Reform project of Student Legal Services, a student run organization that assists low-income individuals in Edmonton understand and solve their legal problems.  She also volunteers for a local organization that provides support and services to at-risk youth in the City.  Shayne is a certified yoga teacher, and has traveled to India to practice Ashtanga Yoga.  Shayne is excited to work with NextGen, and hopes to foster civic engagement among Next-Geners.

Christine is the Coordinator for the NextGen Initiative at the City of Edmonton which brings together young community leaders that include civic members who work at the City of Edmonton. She initially became involved with NextGen when she was appointed by City Council on its Task Force in 2005-06 and led the Arts and Cultural consultations which engaged over 100 next gener's to talk about the current state of the arts and cultural scene in Edmonton. Some NextGen projects that she is proud to have helped spearhead include: Pecha Kucha Nights and implementing free WiFi in Churchill Square and in City of Edmonton public facilities. For her work with NextGen, Christine was recognized in Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2011. Christine completed a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Alberta where she was given the opportunity to study monkeys in Costa Rica during her undergrad. She then went on to complete a Masters degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. In her Masters degree she focused on sustainable tourism and community development in developing countries and did her research for her thesis in Samoa in the South Pacific. Christine loves Edmonton for its arts and cultural scene. She was part of the Cultural Plan Steering Committee for the City of Edmonton's 2008 Cultural Plan, The Art of Living. She is currently part of the organizing team for Timeraiser that matches volunteers and artists with non profit organizations. Christine's other full time job which she absolutely loves is raising her 2 year old daughter Sloane. In her spare time, Christine is an avid snowboarder, enjoys traveling when she gets a chance to get away, camping in the mountains, the theatre, and attending as many music concerts and events as possible!

As a night owl who dreams up ideas and enjoys spending his free time hacking away to test or put them up, Eugene is a program manager, developer, and tech enthusiast all rolled into one.  Currently serving as CTO at Darkhorse Analytics, a data analytics and visualization firm, Eugene helps to drive projects from conception to specs, execution, and post-launch iterations, a role he has taken on from previous stints at Microsoft, BlackBerry (previously RIM), and a startup he co-founded around non-profit intranets called Firenest. Having previously volunteered for NextGen in the past three years, Eugene believes in the positive, cyclical effects of helping to improve our city, and is excited to help make it a better place as it grows.  Eugene has also volunteered at the Fringe, competed and represented University engineering groups at provincial and national levels, and served on the board of WCRI, the second largest housing co-op in North America serving over 800 students. Finally, Eugene likes coffee, and would be happy to grab some with you.  Also, check out www.statisticsedmonton.com andwww.vitamincreativity.com: the first is an award-winning, Edmonton focused visualization he created a few years ago, and the latter is an older project on creativity.

Jodi was raised in Edmonton and completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Alberta where she studied business economics and business law. She spent a number of years working in marketing and business development, including two stints abroad, before returning home to Edmonton and accepting a job in economic development for an alliance of municipalities north of Edmonton. She is currently employed by the City of Edmonton in the department of Sustainable Development. Jodi starts most mornings with a good cup of coffee at Elm Cafe, and is happiest hopping in the car for some new weekend adventure.

Andrew was born in Edmonton, raised just west in the city of Spruce Grove and has lived in Ward 1 since 2001. Andrew received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in 2006 and managed a retail business based in the ward until being elected. He is a strong advocate of our community league system and served on both the Meadowlark and Jasper Park Community Leagues. His favourite place to visit in the ward is the Jasper Place Library. Being that he lives across the street from it he can regularly be seen there checking out a wide range of fantastic things. Andrew is honoured to have the opportunity to serve the people of Ward 1 and the rest of Edmonton.

Sara is a Legislative Services Advisor with the City of Edmonton. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge 2011 with a BA in Political Science, and completed a diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria in 2013. As a newcomer to the Edmonton area, she is enjoying exploring Edmonton and discovering everything it has to offer, and is excited to be part to the NextGen team. Sara is always looking for her next adventure, whether it’s a plane ride away or a weekend in the Alberta wilderness.

Beata has called Edmonton home from the age of three when she moved here from Oxford, England. A huge YEG enthusiast, Beata is passionate about her city’s cultural footprint in a multitude of aspects including the arts, technology, urban design, leadership and education. Beata is a professional accountant (CGA) and holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Laurentian University. Presently, she is an Instructor with the School of Business at MacEwan University. Prior to teaching, Beata spent over 10 years in both the private and public sectors focused primarily in the fields of audit and tax. In her spare time, Beata’s passions include spending time with family and friends, student mentorship, music, travel, tennis and mastering the perfect cappuccino. Fun-fact: Her favorite city travelled to date is Barcelona and she is a lover of 90s hip-hop and electronica music. Beata was lucky enough to experience the first ever Pecha Kucha Night in Edmonton and is thrilled to be part of this team!

Brian is a Strategic Coordinator and City Planner with the City of Edmonton's Sustainable Development Department.  Brian was born and raised in Timmins, ON and graduated from Northern College with a diploma in Architectural Technology. After College he continued his studies at the University of Toronto and received his BA specializing in urban, economic and social geography. Brian's passions have always been architecture and urban planning and have led him to work for the City of Timmins as a Youth Planner and Building Plans Examiner, a Toronto based architecture firm as a draftsperson assisting in the design of homes for the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa-Gatineau region, and for the City of Edmonton as a Planning Technician and Central Area Planner. You can find Brian running in the River Valley, reading the latest planning journal at the local cafe, snapping a few shots around town, or patiently awaiting his next flight home.

Kairi is the incoming Community Co-Chair for the Pecha Kucha Working Group with NextGen. Kairi’s first exposure to the group and interest started after attending PKN14 and she is excited to be a part of the team and the opportunity to share her passions for Edmonton. Kairi grew up in Edmonton and completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Alberta. Kairi is currently employed with Stantec as a Project Manager working in the urban development industry. Kairi has grown to love Edmonton even more after moving to the Oliver area in 2010 and thinks that the City has so much potential. She thinks that Edmonton will be a completely different place in the next few years and wants to be a part of shaping this change. Kairi enjoys taking full advantage of the River Valley in the summer with regular running, and she has volunteered for the Edmonton Folk Fest and is a yearly spectator. In her spare time, Kairi is trying to travel the world, to experience different cultures, landscapes and cities. Her most recent trips were back-pack style across China and Peru. The next big trip is in the works...  

Angela Saveraux is the Manager, Public Relations and Community Investment at Canadian Western Bank (CWB), the largest publicly traded Schedule I bank headquartered in Western Canada. She is responsible for managing and growing the Bank’s community investment and sponsorship program, building community relationships, and encouraging employee volunteerism.

Prior to joining Canadian Western Bank, Angela spent 3 years in non-profit fund development and special events management with the Alberta Diabetes Foundation (ADF).

Angela holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Alberta, a certificate in Corporate Community Involvement Excellence from Boston College and a Public Relations Diploma from MacEwan University. Born and raised in Edmonton, Angela is active in the local community and volunteers with Junior Achievement, ADF, Edmonton’s NextGen and IABC Edmonton. In her spare time, she loves to travel and has visited 17+ countries

Laryssa is a Communications Coordinator with the Alberta Motor Association. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA in English and Creative Writing in 2011, and completed the Special Events Management Program at NAIT in 2013. She's a born-and-raised Edmontonian who's come to love the city and what it has to offer. When she isn't working, you can find her playing recreational volleyball, trying out different restaurants, or checking out different events and festivals around the city.

Rebecca Swanson is the Director of Communications for BUKSA Associates, and has worked in Conference and Association Management for the past eight years. She moved to Edmonton in 2001 from small town southern Alberta and graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Comm. She is the Communications Officer for the Alberta Chapter of World Fit for Children and volunteers with community groups as much as possible. Rebecca loves three things: music, travelling, and Edmonton. She has been a volunteer with NextGen since 2012 and is now excited to join the committee as co-chair of Ignite to help shape the future of this already amazing city.