RhPAP Board Member Profile
Name: Al Kemmere
Location: Olds, Alberta
Role: President, Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC)
Appointed to RhPAP Board: 2018
About Al Kemmere
Al Kemmere was appointed to the RhPAP Board of Directors in 2018 as a representative of the AAMDC, an association of Alberta’s 69 counties and municipal districts that helps rural municipalities achieve strong and effective local government.
Al is currently a councillor for Mountain View County, having first been elected councillor and reeve of Mountain View County in 2004. Al’s involvement with AAMDC begun with his election as Director for District 2 – Central at the Fall 2010 Convention. He was later elected president of AAMDC in November 2014.
Al has always tried to take a leadership approach when it comes to municipal partnerships and collaborations, and has been involved in many local and provincial organizations.
He and his wife, Kathy, have raised three children on their farm north of Olds. Their farm consists of a dairy operation, mixed farming and custom farming.
Why it is important for your organization to be a member of the RhPAP Board?
As an association that represents Rural Municipalities there is an obvious connection between AAMDC and RhPAP as the services they provide take place on our landscape so to have a level of involvement if the early discussions on what those services are intending to provide and then be able to engage with our members to explore any outcomes that can be shared back with the board would be of great value.
What does it mean to you personally to be a part of the RhPAP Board?
For me, being on the RhPAP board allows me to build a much better understanding of issues or items and in turn allow me to better represent both associations in an area of importance. It helps facilitate collaboration and cooperation.
What are the important issues you hope to address as a member of the RhPAP Board?
Access to health care services is key to the people in the communities I represent, and the challenges get more difficult to maintain in the more remote rural areas. RhPAP has a mandate to assist rural communities in their recruitment of and retention of health care professionals and then follow up with some education and training programs to help them be current in there are of specialty. It is my hope that I can help those rural and remote communities in being able to source the medical services they require so that their citizens can remain in their communities.
Why is maintaining an accessible health workforce close to home important for Alberta?
I believe having health Care delivery close to home is vital to the long-term health of those people, but we must remember “close to home” in some areas of Alberta is still hours away. It has been shared in the past that the further you live from health care services and even just basis Doctor services the less likely you will be to visit those services for the needs that can help you live a healthier way of life. A strong healthcare workforce in the Rural communities will improve the accessibility and allow more rural residents to have a level of that will be more similar to that in the larger communities and cities which I believe will contribute to a healthier way of life.