Ward 2 - Bev Esslinger

Bev, a married mother of two grown children and grandmother has lived in Ward 2 for more than 18 years. Before being elected to City Council, she served two terms as an Edmonton Public School District Trustee and four years as Chair of the Board. While a Trustee she also served three years as a Director for the Alberta School Boards Association as well as on a number of committees within Edmonton Public including the Multi-Cultural Task Force, Community Engagement and District Priorities. Bev was instrumental in the development of a Board Strategic Plan and the inception of the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation. She continues to serve on the Board of Governors of the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation.

Bev brings a combination of community and political experiences. As a Trustee she worked with many levels of government including municipal and provincial governments. She has also represented Edmonton Public Schools internationally in China and France during her time as Board Chair. 

Bev’s passion for Edmonton and the people of Edmonton has been demonstrated by her willingness to get involved and make Edmonton a better place to live. She has been actively engaged with people and programs and has worked tirelessly on their behalf.  Her involvements have been diverse but, the passion for helping people to thrive is a common thread. 

Bev has been a foster parent, school council chair (Kensington, Killarney), and community playground committee member (Kensington, Weinlos).  She has also worked for a number of non-profit organizations including Kids Kottage, Oliver Centre for Children & Families and as the Executive Director for SHAPE (Alberta's Walk to School program).  She has served on the boards of a variety of community organizations including Society for Safe & Caring Schools and Communities, Edmonton Public Schools Foundation and Edmonton Sabres Marching Band. She also chaired the Provincial Active Transportation Committee and was a member of the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention.

Currently Bev is pursuing a Masters in Leadership at Royal Roads University.