About
Rachel Swendseid

Rachel holds a BSc in Environmental Conservation with a major in Land Reclamation. Rachel has worked extensively across the province in the oil sands, forestry, and conventional oil and gas reclamation. Her experience in the reclamation field prompted her to expand into the education sector as she saw the value in connecting Albertans with where their energy comes from.

For the past 10 years, Rachel has worked as a Natural Resources Educator in schools across Western Canada. This experience is one of the greatest skills she can bring to the council table as she recognizes that complex issues hold a variety of perspectives. She worked with students and teachers to help them understand the science and multiple perspectives associated with natural resource development and worked hard to foster critical thinking skills in the students she taught. Her expertise is electricity generation in Alberta.

Rachel co-founded an Okotoks not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing free essential baby items to Foothills families facing hardships. Through this experience, Rachel has worked with hundreds of Foothills families with young children and has listened to the challenges and barriers many people experience every day. She is dedicated to creating policies that are equitable, town services that are accessible, and ensuring that no community member is left behind. Her experience as a board member and witnessing local businesses invest into local non-profits fuels her dedication to ensuring a thriving local economy. Rachel was also a member of the Okotoks Sheep River Valley Committee which provided her with knowledge and insight into town processes and policy development.

Rachel is a volunteer with Foothills Community Immigrant Services through their community match and english tutor programs. She was also a mentor for the Workplace Communication for Rural Immigrants program through Bow Valley College. These volunteer experiences have not only introduced her to some of her dearest friends, but they have been fundamental in providing understanding in what services and infrastructure are important to newcomers as they start their new lives in Canada.

Rachel’s parents immigrated to Canada in the early 1980s from the former Czechoslovakia. They chose Okotoks to start their new life and build a family. Drawing on her parents’ accomplishments as successful entrepreneurs, Rachel’s upbringing has provided her with a strong work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be a small business owner. She is committed to ensuring that there is equitable access in our communities and has received training in filing human rights complaints, diversity and anti-racism, poverty reduction and inclusive teaching practices. Rachel and her husband have two young children, two dogs, and for the past several years had four backyard chickens as part of the town’s Urban Hen Project. You’ll find Rachel at community events, swimming in the Sheep River, hanging out at the skatepark with her kids, and enjoying backyard BBQs with friends.