Alberta Venture magazine has announced its 16th annual list of Alberta’s 50 most influential people, and a prominent Red Deer figure has made the cut.

City Manager Craig Curtis was selected for the 2012 list, which began in 1997.

Alberta Venture created the list to highlight people who, through their professional and personal accomplishments, have left a positive impression on Alberta’s political, economic and cultural landscape.

Curtis co-authored a study in 2008 detailing the City of Red Deer’s strengths and weaknesses including reducing the City’s child poverty rate.

As City Manager his role has him overseeing the City’s 18 departments, 1,200 employees and a $700 million operating budget.

Curtis has been involved in the City’s development since the early 1980s when he was involved with the planning commission and later as the urban planning manager and director of community services.

He left the City to manage another for a number of years and returned five years ago to what he said is a time of growth for the City of Red Deer.

“I wanted the opportunity to be a part of that,” he said. “I think the nomination is a recognition that the City is making progress in fairly cutting edge ways on a variety of issues. Hopefully things like our transportation and downtown improvements played into this.”

Curtis is no stranger to awards and has received several such as the Alberta Planning Award for the Red Deer Downtown Concept and Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary, and the CP/RA Facility Excellence Award for the Kerry Wood Nature Centre.

He said he is certainly delighted to have received the designation and that it is a boost in light of all the work that the City is doing to make its name known on a larger scale.

– Palardy