Who are Peer Mentors?
Peer mentors are elected officials and senior municipal administrators, highly experienced, and selected from each of the associations. They are volunteers, trained in coaching, communication, facilitation, and dispute resolution – kept up-to-date with best practices.
The role of a peer mentor is to function, upon request, as a sounding board on issues related to alternative dispute resolution techniques, as well as inter-municipal cooperation ideas that could be employed by municipal leaders. Orientation and training in facilitation and communication are provided annually to enhance the peer mentors’ skills. The cost of the instructors for this training is funded by Alberta Municipal Affairs, while the expenses to attend the session are paid by the associations that the peers represent.
Peer mentors participate on a voluntary basis. One of the most valuable aspects of being a peer mentor is the training in conflict resolution. The training not only improves the level of advice made to peers but is also very beneficial to the mentors own work situations.
Mentors can help in many areas, including public policy issues, inter-municipal issues, and even interpersonal relationships. They encourage the resolution of issues at the local level, and help explore alternate ways of resolving disputes instead of going to court
Our Mentors
To learn more about our amazing mentors, click on one of the names below: