Get to Know Leanne

We’re not just electing a mayor. We’re electing a leader, a thinker, a fighter, a mother, and above all, a devoted public servant who knows what it will take to steer Guelph through these challenging times.  T.L.

 

Where It All Started

I learned the value of hard work and service early in life. My father was a post-war RCAF navigator. He flew a decommissioned Lancaster Bomber (FM213, also known as the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum) while stationed in Torbay, NL, assigned to Cold War reconnaissance and search and rescue operations. Mom was a coal miner's daughter from Drumheller, AB, the first of her family to pursue post-secondary education to become an ER nurse.

When dad took a job with Air Canada in the early 70s, we cleared land and settled near Arkell. I attended Brock Road School, College Ave, and Centennial CVI. When I left home at 18 to head down Highway 6 to Hamilton to attend McMaster University, I knew someday I would be back to make Guelph my forever home.

A Legacy of Service

For decades prior to being elected to public office, I was involved in community advocacy through my professional work, my neighbourhood association, school councils and numerous community organizations. I have been a volunteer and strong champion for the environment, education, sustainability, water protection, heritage, sound planning and zoning, arts and culture. Community service has been part of who I am since my early years, whether it be through 4-H clubs, sports, school or church activities. As a Rotarian, I live by the motto "Service Above Self" which extends into my personal and political life.

I believe in hard work and continuous improvement. I got my first job at 14 and haven't stopped since. Being a working mother to four children was the most challenging and rewarding time of my life.  

Bringing Skills to the Table

I graduated from McMaster University with an Honours BA in History and English, and earned an MA (Leadership) from the University of Guelph Lang School of Business.

I have decades of experience in the public sector, private sector and non-profit sector, including five years as Communications Director for 4-H Ontario, a rental agent for a local developer, and 30 years in higher eduction. I have owned and operated a successful small business. As a working mother of four, I won't say it was easy. It was a delicate balance of family, work, and community. In my current role as the Manager, Occupancy and Marketing at the U of G, my position in Ancillary Services oversees $55 million in revenue generation, supports recruitment, policy, media, and communications. See my Linked In profile to see more about the  professional skills and experience I bring to the role of mayor.

Politics Isn't Everything

I am a proud mom to four children, and my family now includes grandchildren and an extended bonus family. I'm so fortunate to have their full support in my mayoral campaign, even though I know being in public life can be hard for immediate family. I am honoured to have their unwavering faith in me to build a better city for future generations. In my "spare" time, my husband Arni and I are busy working on home renos, in the garden, in the forest, or cheering on the Raptors and Blue Jays.