Invermere Mayor 2018-to present
Invermere Council 2008-2011 & 2014-2018

Al Miller has been living in Invermere since 1988. He and his wife Lucy have three children and own the Invermere Home Hardware Building Centre.

Al has been very active in the business community serving on several boards and committees. He has served as Chair of the IBC (Invermere Business Committee), as president of the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce for three terms, and he recently retired as President of the Columbia Valley Rockies Hockey Club.

With a passion for community service, Al was elected as a Councillor in 2008 and 2014 before stepping into the role of mayor in 2018. Al believes in a strong social, economic, and environmental balance. His goal is to help guide Invermere into the future with strong economics, good social programs, keeping the environment top of mind. “Commitment to community” is his motto.

Invermere Council 2023-to present (elected at March 4, 2023 by-election)

Grant was born and raised on a family farm 40 minutes outside of Ottawa in the Gatineau Valley. After completing high school in Ottawa and attending Algonquin College he worked in service positions before moving to Calgary in 1987. He continued his career in the service industry at Stampede Park and other locations. His education was furthered at University of Calgary business classes and the “school of hard knocks” business venture on Electric Avenue Calgary. After moving to the Columbia Valley and settling in Invermere in 1999 he decided this would be home and embraced everything the Valley has to offer. In 2004 he opened Grant’s Foods and operated this until 2017. When the soon to be built abattoir at the Crossroads was being proposed by the Windermere District Farmers Institute, he took this on and operated the abattoir until he sold his business there in 2021. He is now semi-retired and is devoting as much time as he can to his new Councillor position. He volunteers with the Kinsmen Club, Minor Hockey, and the Rockies. He enjoys hockey, skiing, camping, hiking, biking, quadding, and being on Lake Windermere in both summer and winter. Grant, his wife Sherri, son Keegan and dog Jersey live in the Wilder subdivision.

Invermere Council 2022-to present

Theresa – originally from Fergus, Ontario – first moved to Invermere like so many other people to work a season at Panorama Ski Resort. One contract led to another and eventually to more permanent work opportunities. Now 17 years later she and her spouse Jason have made their home in Invermere along with their two sons. Over the same time, Theresa became involved in many Invermere or Columbia Valley based groups and eventually became active on several boards. Some of the groups she has been very active in include the Invermere Curling Club, Lake Windermere Rowing Club, Wings Over the Rockies, Whiteway Committee, and Radium Hot Springs Events Committee among others.

Theresa has an extensive background working in the hospitality and tourism sector including food and beverage, housekeeping, guest services, sales and marketing, and event planning. This gives her a solid understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing many parts of the tourism industry in Invermere and the Columbia Valley. She also worked as Events Coordinator with District of Invermere and thrived on bringing the community together. More recently, working at Taynton Bay Spirits, Theresa gained invaluable experience developing strategies aimed at sustaining business growth which is necessary for our local businesses to be successful going forward. Theresa works with the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce as an Economic Recovery Advisor. Theresa recently completed a Community Economic Development certificate programme with the University of Waterloo. She has become very interested in generating community development scenarios and the ways and means they can be used to purposefully guide the choices that communities make to achieve their desired futures.

Theresa firmly believes in making Invermere a place for everyone, where the next generation will want to move back to after exploring other places. She believes in building a distributive and regenerative economy, one that will help make Invermere and the Columbia Valley a better place for future generations to enjoy.

Invermere Council 2018 – to present

Kayja Becker feels fortunate to be able to say she was born and raised in the Columbia Valley. She left the Valley to attend college in Kelowna, but returned in the spring of 2014 as she knew Invermere was where she was meant to be. The same year she returned, she ran in the municipal election and, after narrowly losing out, she knew she wanted to dedicate herself to the town in any way she could.

Kayja began volunteering, and through that became familiar with some of the issue areas in the community as well as with the incredible local citizens who are so passionate about what they do. When the 2018 election began, she knew she wanted to represent those in the community who are often too busy in their volunteering efforts and find themselves unable to attend local government Q&A periods. Kayja always tries to filter her decision-making through the lens of “how does this impact those with no government voice”, such as the environment, animals, and youth.

Kayja lives with her partner Shane and their youngster Harrison.  Kayja and Harrison have a little rescue dog named Juan Diego who ensures they get out walking the town daily.  She looks forward to her second term in local government and encourages anyone reading this to reach out as she would love to hear from you.

Invermere Council 2002-2008 & 2018- to present
Invermere Mayor 2008-2018

Gerry is proud to be raising his two goofy kids (Kelvin & Veronica) with his partner Nozomi in Invermere, the town he is grateful for being born and raised in. After two long years in Kamloops (completing a diploma in Hotel & Restaurant Management), Gerry returned home in 2002 and was first elected to Invermere Council that fall, at the age of 20. Gerry has served on Invermere Council consecutively since 2002, including as Mayor from 2008 to 2018 (and as Director on the Regional District of East Kootenay Board). Gerry has previously served as a Director with the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments and the Union of BC Municipalities. In the October 2018 election, Gerry made the conscious decision to stay involved with Invermere Council, but also stepped back a bit, when he successfully transitioned from the Mayor position back to Councillor.

From selling Lego in his grade 3 classroom, to grilling bratwurst with a hotdog cart at 17, to making/serving gelati/coffee as the founder/previous operator of Gerry’s Gelati/Stolen Church Coffee, Gerry has been pursuing entrepreneurial passions his entire life. Gerry is now working full time as a REALTOR®, while also spearheading some local small-scale development and investment projects.

Gerry tries to bring a balance of experience, passion, common sense, critical thinking, and maybe occasionally some humour, to Invermere council. In addition to being actively engaged in and caring deeply about the local community, Gerry has a keen interest in and love for regional, provincial, and local government politics, policy, and trends. Gerry also enjoys old buildings, old cars, and hoppy beer.