Jyoti Gondek was elected to serve Ward 3 in October of 2017. Having lived, worked, volunteered and raised a family in the communities of Coventry Hills and Panorama Hills over the past 20 years, Jyoti has a solid understanding of the needs of north central Calgarians.
Jyoti has been active in her ward through volunteer roles on the board of the Northern Hills Community Association for 5 years, and 2 years on the board of Vivo for Healthier Generations. She further served as a volunteer citizen member of the City of Calgary’s Planning Commission for 4 years, as well as other municipal committees like HealthYYC and the Community Representation Framework Task Force.
In the broader community, Jyoti was a board member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Alberta, Design Talks Institute (d.talks) and Parent Support Association. She also served as an advisor on the National Executive Forum on Public Property and the Calgary Economic Development Commercial Real Estate Committee. Jyoti has been recognized for her contributions to community through the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the 2016 Angus Reid Applied Sociology Award.
Professionally, Jyoti was the Director of the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business before taking office in 2017. In her three years at the Westman Centre, Jyoti established a unique program to bring students and professionals together in building strong and prosperous cities. For 12 years prior, she provided research-based consulting services ranging from creating complete communities to fostering healthy corporate cultures. Jyoti also has private sector experience in financial services and public sector experience as a policy analyst.
Jyoti’s academic training includes an undergraduate degree in sociology and criminology, an MA in organizational sociology that examined corporate social responsibility, and a PhD in urban sociology that provided insights into the struggles of urban-rural hybrid areas like Rocky View County. Jyoti has been an advocate for applied research that places a focus on problem solving rather than the traditional approach of academic research strictly for scholarly publication. She continues to engage students and faculty at post-secondary institutions in our collective mission to create better cities that place an equal value on people and places.
Ward 3 and north central Calgary are home to many incredible people and businesses, with thriving community organizations and beautiful neighbourhoods. Jyoti’s goal is to ensure that Ward 3 receives the investments in infrastructure and services that will continue to make it a vital part of Calgary.