There is a new face at The City of Red Deer with Mike Olesen joining The City’s leadership team after four years as the Chief Executive Officer at Westerner Park. Olesen will be taking on the role of General Manager for The City of Red Deer on June 19, 2023.

 “It is difficult to leave Westerner Park as I believe it is a place of strong connection where I have had the unique opportunity to build community here in Red Deer. But I am also excited about the opportunity to work in local government and to have a different kind of impact in the city where I live and am raising my family,” said Olesen.

Prior to working with Westerner Park, Olesen was the senior director for administration and workforce for the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. His past experiences include time in Retail Operations for Parkland Fuel Corporation, eleven years at Hockey Alberta in positions ranging from Senior Manager, Operations & Events to Assistant Executive Director, and he holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Royal Roads University.

“I have every confidence Mike will be an invaluable asset to our general management leadership team and to our organization. His drive to build community and the pride for our city aligns with the values of our organization where we put our citizens and businesses at the centre of what we do at The City,” said Lodewyk. “He will be meeting people and learning the many business lines at The City for the first few months as General Manager.  By mid-July he will begin his work leading specific departments.”