Brad Woodside, Mayor, City of Fredericton
Mayor Brad Woodside is Fredericton’s longest serving mayor, having been elected for a record eight terms. He has dedicated his life to exemplary leadership and continually serving others through both public and community service.
Born in Fredericton, he left school in Grade 9 to join the Royal Canadian Air Force in Saskatchewan. He later returned to his hometown and enrolled in the GED adult education program and proudly became one of New Brunswick’s first graduates.
His nearly 30-year career in municipal politics began when he was first elected to City Council in 1981, serving two terms as Councillor before being elected Mayor in 1986. Having served five straight terms before resigning in 1999, he was returned as Mayor in 2004 and was most recently re-elected on May 14, 2012. As Mayor, he has been a passionate ambassador for the City.
Mayor Woodside has proven to be a forward-thinking and innovative leader in championing the City of Fredericton’s vision to be a smart and sustainable city. A gifted orator, Mayor Woodside began competitive public speaking in his early 20s through the Junior Chamber of Commerce, advancing to join Toastmasters to master his skill. He has earned more than 35 awards for his international participation in public speaking competitions and he has further proven to be an engaging and energizing speaker while proudly representing the city at thousands of public events locally, nationally and internationally.
As Past President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, this past year he represented communities across Canada on the national and international stage. He engaged member municipalities to understand their needs and challenges and maintained important relationships with senior elected officials at the federal, provincial and territorial levels.
He has been distinguished with many honours and awards for his leadership and service to the community. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. Thomas University for being an exceptional public and community leader.