Mayor Michelle Staples served seven years on Duncan City Council before being elected to her first term as Mayor in 2018, becoming the first woman to serve in that position. She is a mother in transition of adapting to being an empty nester, a lover of hockey and lacrosse, who is engaged deeply in her community, and has spent a large portion of her career as an independent contractor, facilitator who has volunteered with a long list of local organizations and groups. She works as the Executive Director of Social Planning Cowichan and has been involved in community development in the Cowichan Valley for well over 20 years with a significant amount of work dedicated to Reconciliation, Climate Change, Equity and Justice issues. She holds a BA in Applied Communications, Diplomas in Business Administration and Computer Technology, and certifications in Facilitation, Counselling Inclusive Leadership, Mediation, and Diversity Training. She is working on her level 3 Local Government Certification and has plans to resume her studies to complete her Master’s Degree in Integrated Studies. She sits on several boards and committees some as a voting member, others as a non-voting liaison, all diverse, each filled with people working together committed to doing what they can to apply solutions to some of the most unprecedented challenges faced in our lifetime. She truly believes that the only way forward is working together where we can achieve anything if we have the openness to listen, the willingness to try and the courage to lead.