"Hello, please hold for the Prime Minister." Can you imagine getting that call because it would be one to remember forever. Someone who will remember it forever is Karen Sorensen, who had it happen a year ago when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called and told her she would be Alberta's newest senator. Hear more about Senator Sorensen's journey to the senate, from the mountains of Banff to Canada's chamber of sober second thought in episode 43 of Ellected with host Sarah Elder-Chamanara of Madame Premier.
More about Senator Karen Sorensen:
Karen Sorensen is an accomplished community leader with experience working with all orders of government and the private sector.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Sorensen was serving her third term as Mayor of Banff. She previously served as a municipal councillor for six years and as a school board trustee for four years. After a successful 25 year career in the hotel industry in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, she founded Catalyst Enterprises Consulting in 2000, providing customer service and sales training in the hospitality industry, and sharing her expertise as a keynote speaker.
At the municipal level, Ms. Sorensen served as Chair of the Town of Banff’s Governance and Finance Committee and on the Banff Lake Louise Tourism Board. She also contributed to the town’s Environmental Master Plan, Community Plan and participated in the creation of the Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission. In addition, she supported her community through the Alberta flood of 2013, the wildfires across the province in 2017, and the global COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Sorensen also co-chaired the Bow Valley Human-Wildlife Coexistence Round Table and served on the Regional Transit Commission, Bow Valley Regional Housing, Banff’s Assessment Review Board, Banff’s Development Appeal Board and the Banff Heritage Corporation.
In 2005, Ms. Sorensen was named Alberta Centennial Ambassador. She is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and YWCA Banff 2019 Woman of Distinction Award.
Ms. Sorensen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Guelph.
More about Sarah Elder-Chamanara:
Sarah Elder-Chamanara is the founder, creative director, designer and owner of Madame Premier, a feminist, political and activist clothing company and community based in Calgary, Alberta. With the underlying principle of seeing more women and diversity in politics, elected and in backrooms, at every level, Sarah and Madame Premier create opportunities for conversations about how politics works, why it needs to change, who it needs to change for and how the time for that is now.