His Excellency Brad Woodside
Past President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities,and one of Canada’s Longest Serving Mayors
Bio:
Career
Vice-Chair, 2016 - present
New Brunswick Insurance Board
Appointed as Vice-Chair of the NB Insurance Board for a three year term. The Board’s mission is to regulate automobile insurance rates under the Insurance Act for all companies doing business in the province of New Brunswick and to ensure procedural fairness to all parties appearing before the Board.
Vice President, Business Development 2016 - 2017
TotalPave Inc
Assisted two UNB graduates with a local start-up, providing marketing mentorship for their product which allows municipalities to cost-effectively measure the integrity of road infrastructure.
Mayor 1986-1999; 2004 – 2016
City of Fredericton
Elected for a record eight terms, Brad Woodside has long been a passionate representative for the capital city and an enthusiastic ambassador to both visitors and new residents. His mayoral duties include providing leadership for the city, facilitating a team approach among council members and the administration, fostering a common vision, presiding at council meetings, representing the municipality at ceremonies, and acting as the key spokesperson for the city. He has led the city’s adoption of initiatives that have earned international awards including:
North American Micro City of the Future – Financial Times of London
International Liveable Community Award (Gold for Green Matters & Green Shops)
Top7 Intelligent Community – Intelligent Communities Forum
Top Ten Places to Live in Canada – MoneySense Magazine
President, National Board of Directors June 2014 – June 2015
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
Having previously served as vice-president and as a member of the executive board (2000-2014), Brad Woodside was elected by the FCM membership to lead the organization, which serves as a united voice for more than 2,000 communities across Canada. He was responsible for leading the FCM’s governance and engaging members to understand their needs and challenges and to communicate the organization’s activities. He was the organization’s lead spokesperson in the media and in political venues, maintaining relations with senior federal and provincial/territorial elected officials, and was the organization’s representative on the national and international stages.
Councillor 1981 – 1986
City of Fredericton
First elected to city council in 1981, he served two terms as city councillor representing Ward 1. As part of his duties, he served on various municipal committees including the Finance Committee and the Fredericton Exhibition, in addition to holding the position of chairman of the Planning Advisory Committee. He served as deputy mayor from 1985 to 1986.
Owner/Operator, Carleton Boat Tours 1997 – 2007
Conducting boat tours on the beautiful St. John River, Brad Woodside shared Fredericton’s rich history with visitors and residents alike.
President, St. Anne Consulting Limited 1990 – 1997
Providing public relations and media training to businesses, Brad Woodside effectively taught people how to understand and work with the media, including hundreds of NB Power employees.
Talk Show Host/Announcer, CFNB Radio 1977 – 1988
A well-known personality in Fredericton at one of the oldest radio stations in Canada, he hosted the afternoon drive show for four years before moving up to host the morning show for six years. His program performed consistently high in the BBM Canada ratings. In addition to working early mornings, he also represented the station at numerous community events, often on his own time. He often was requested to emcee fundraising events as his infectious personality and speaking ability contributed to an entertaining evening.
Honours and Distinctions
Honorary Degree – Doctorate of Laws, St. Thomas University
Awarded in 2011, Brad Woodside received an honorary degree from St. Thomas University for his incredible community leadership and in recognition of his dedication, determination and deep-rooted passion for the City of Fredericton. The university recognized that under his leadership, Fredericton achieved both sustainable economic development and innovative environmental protection and has been recognized internationally for its quality of life and the opportunities it offers its citizens. The degree further recognizes his advocacy achievements, including his work as the founding chair of a substance abuse awareness program for children, as a director of Portage Atlantic, and as a public spokesperson on the issue of youth substance abuse in Israel, France, Italy, and Germany. Other work recognized includes his membership of advisory committees such as i-Canada, the National Board of Directors of Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and the National Steering Committee
StartUp Canada Award
Awarded in 2016, Brad Woodside received the national Policy Prize from StartUp Canada. This award is in recognition of his role in the area of public policy for advancing the environment and culture for entrepreneurship in Canada.
Modern Makers of Canada Award
Awarded in 2016, Brad Woodside received the Modern Makers of Canada Award established by the Institute on Governance to recognize Canadians who have contributed to good governance through transformational public sector leadership. This was the first time municipal mayors were considered for this award and Brad Woodside was recognized along with 9 other extraordinary Mayors of Canadian Cities.
Public Sector Leadership Award
Awarded in 2014 by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA), for the promotion of information technology in Fredericton and the development of information technology infrastructure such as the wireless Fred-Ezone. Fredericton was named two times as a Top 7 candidate in the Most Intelligent Community competition. Brad Woodside has gone across Canada as an i-CANADA representative inspiring other cities to bring themselves forward as intelligent communities.
Other Awards and Nominations
▪ Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal
▪ Paul Harris Fellowship Award, presented by Fredericton Rotary Club
▪ Lions International Melvin Jones Fellow
▪ Presidential Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service as President of Jaycees
▪ Runner-up, World semi-finals of Toastmasters International competitive speaking contest in Hyannis Port, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
▪ Nominated as a Distinguished Citizen, City of Fredericton
▪ Nominated as an Outstanding Young Canadian of the Junior Chamber of Commerce
Honorary Memberships
▪ Honorary Member of the Fredericton Fire Department, in recognition of fundraising accomplishments for the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital Burn Unit
▪ Honorary Patron of Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 4
▪ Honorary Member of Commissioning Crew Mess HMCS Fredericton
▪ Honorary Member of the Republic of Madawaska, in recognition of work with the Francophone community
Community Service
▪ Past Member of the University of New Brunswick Board of Governors for over 20 years
▪ Past Chair of the Regional Service Commission 11
▪ Past Director of the United Way of Fredericton
▪ Member of the Nashwaaksis Lions Club
▪ Founding Chairman of the “Try Hugs Not Drugs ‘HUGGY’ Project” of the Nashwaaksis Lions Club
▪ Director of Portage Atlantic, a residential program providing long-term residential treatment for youth with drug dependencies
▪ Past appointed Member of the National Steering Committee on Safety and Crime Prevention
▪ Member of the Fredericton United Commercial Travelers Association
▪ Charter President of the Nashwaak Jaycees
▪ Past Member of the Fredericton Toastmasters Club, served in the capacity of Administrative Vice-President
▪ Coach of youth soccer and minor hockey
▪ Past Vice-Chairman of the Ruffed Grouse Society of New Brunswick
▪ Past Director of the Fredericton Exhibition
▪ Past Member of Downtown Fredericton Inc.
▪ Past President, Cities of New Brunswick Association
▪ Past President of the Fredericton Junior Chamber of Commerce
▪ Served in the Royal Canadian Air Force
▪ Member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, Beaverbrook Wing, Fredericton
Education
General Educational Development (GED) 1976
Proudly one of the province’s first graduates of the program, completing it after returning to Fredericton after his service in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
French Language Training 2014
Completed a French immersion training session through the LOGIBEC-ILAQ program in Québec City, Québec, a program accredited by the federal government for French language qualification achievement.
Interests
Brad Woodside’s various interests include fishing, music, travelling with his family, and public service in addition to his more than 20 years of experience in competitive public speaking. He is a past member of various clubs including the Fredericton Golf and Curling Club, the Fredericton Garrison Club, and the Fredericton City Club.