The Brief: Rethinking Local Leadership in Alberta

Sep 9, 2025

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How do we build stronger, safer, and more prosperous communities across Alberta?

In this special episode of The Brief, guest host Lily Dupuis sits down with Murray Cunningham, President & CEO of Scott Builders, and Michael (Mike) Brown, President & CEO of Trico Homes. Together, Murray and Mike co-chair the Business Council of Alberta’s Task Force on Business Priorities for Alberta's Local Governments, which provided a foundation for BCA's newest report, Municipal Matters, focusing on bold recommendations for the future of our cities, towns, and communities.

Murray and Mike share their own career journeys to the C-suite, what inspired the creation of this task force, and the most pressing challenges businesses say are holding Albertan communities back. From big cities to small towns, this conversation unpacks the report’s three foundational pillars for thriving communities: tackling crime and social disorder, improving permitting and planning processes, and rethinking municipal tax systems and business–government relationships.

As Alberta heads into a municipal election cycle this fall, Murray and Mike also offer their advice to future mayors and councillors on how to work with business to create places where people and communities can truly flourish.

About the Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

Check out more of our recent work: https://bit.ly/3JG9ifS

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