Ed Stelmach

Ed Stelmach
Stelmach in 2009
13th Premier of Alberta
In office December 14, 2006 – October 7, 2011
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Normie Kwong Donald Ethell
Preceded by	Ralph Klein
Succeeded by	Alison Redford
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville
In office November 22, 2004 – April 23, 2012
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Jacquie Fenske
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Vegreville-Viking
In office June 15, 1993 – November 22, 2004
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	District abolished
Alberta Minister of Intergovernmental Relations
In office November 25, 2004 – March 23, 2006
Preceded by	Halvar Jonson
Succeeded by	Gary Mar
Alberta Minister of Transportation
In office March 16, 2001 – November 25, 2004
Preceded by	New portfolio1
Succeeded by	Lyle Oberg
Alberta Minister of Infrastructure
In office May 26, 1999 – March 16, 2001
Preceded by	New portfolio
Succeeded by	Ty Lund2
Alberta Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development
In office March 29, 1997 – May 26, 1999
Preceded by	Walter Paszkowski
Succeeded by	Ty Lund
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
In office December 3, 2006 – October 1, 2011
Preceded by	Ralph Klein
Succeeded by	Alison Redford
Reeve of Lamont County, Alberta
In office 1987 – June 1993
Preceded by	Joe Hrycyk
Succeeded by	Mae Adamyk
Municipal councillor in Lamont County, Alberta, Division 4
In office October 20, 1986 – June 1993
Preceded by	Mike Kapicki
Succeeded by	Hazel Anaka
Personal details
Born	Edward Michael Stelmach (1951-05-11) May 11, 1951 (age 65) Lamont, Alberta, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Spouse(s)	Marie Stelmach (née Warshawski)
Children	Three sons, one daughter
Profession	Farmer
Religion	Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Signature
Between 1999 and 2001, the Transportation portfolio was part of the Infrastructure portfolio, which was held by Stelmach. In 2001, the Infrastructure portfolio was divided into Infrastructure—which was taken over by Lund—and Transportation, which Stelmach retained.

Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach (/ˈstɛlmæk/; born May 11, 1951) is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a farmer, except for some time spent studying at the University of Alberta. His first foray into politics was a 1986 municipal election, when he was elected to Lamont County council. A year into his term, he was appointed reeve. He continued in this position until his entry into provincial politics.

In the 1993 provincial election, Stelmach was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vegreville-Viking (later Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville). A Progressive Conservative, he served in the cabinets of Ralph Klein—at various times holding the portfolios of Intergovernmental Relations, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development—where he developed a reputation as a low-key politician who avoided the limelight. When Klein resigned the party's leadership in 2006, Stelmach was among the first to present his candidature to replace him. After a third-place finish on the first ballot of the leadership race, he won an upset second ballot victory over former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning.