About Your Council
Mayor Joanne Monaghan
Mayor Joanne Monaghan has served 34 years on District of Kitimat Council, and steps into her second term (2011-2014) as the first woman Mayor of this community. She was born in Minnesota and emigrated to Smithers in 1967. She owned and operated Ye Wise Owl Shoppe for 37 years, up to 2008, and since 1989 has owned and operated Peak Experience Helicopter Adventure Tours.Mayor Monaghan served as Chair of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine for eight years and Vice-Chair for nine years, and continues to be an alternate member. She was the first female President of the Yellowhead Highway Association and North Central Municipal Association, served as President of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for two terms, and as President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for one term. Her international experience includes arranging a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) government 'Technology Transfer' between Kitimat and a community in Ecuador, and lecturing on 'Women in Politics' in South Africa and Ghana.
Her ultimate civic service goal has been the acceptance of municipalities as an order of government. During her UBCM tenure a "Protocol Agreement" was signed by the Province of British Columbia to recognize all municipal and regional governments as levels of government. The provincial government is now bound by protocol and legislation to consult municipalities and regional districts before considering legislation affecting these two orders of government.
Mayor Monaghan has a long history of active service on local and regional issues. Among the more recent is acting on people's concerns to get Highway # 37 South upgraded from a "B" class road to an "A" class road for maintenance standard purposes, which means additional funds for snow removal, working on the local Crystal Meth Awareness Program, bringing back the Restorative Justice process to Kitimat, and working with the Kitimat Health Advocacy Group to recruit medical staff for Kitimat's General Hospital and Health Care Centre. Most recent activities have included recruiting a new vet and securing a new animal shelter for the community.
Councillor Edwin Empinado
Councillor Edwin Empinado is the first Filipino Canadian elected as a Municipal Councillor in BC. He is originally from Cebu City, Philippines. Entering the religious life at a very young age, Edwin studied three years of Philosophy, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education, majoring in Physics. Realizing the religious life was not meant for him, he left the seminary and studied nursing, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Edwin taught nursing for almost ten years at the University of San Carlos, and at the same time studied and graduated with a Masters of Science in Nursing. In the early years of teaching, he also managed three Mr. Donut outlets, had a distribution company for laundry soap and canned sardines, and built and operated a corn mill.
Edwin's love of nursing led him to pursue his career in Dublin, Ireland where he worked as an operating room nurse. It was there that he met his wife Doris, and their daughter Diana Mae was born. In 2004 Edwin and Doris accepted offers to work in the operating room at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. Finding Vancouver a difficult place to raise a young family, they began to look for a more family-friendly community and moved Kitimat in January 2005 after both Edwin and Doris were hired to work in the operating room of Kitimat General Hospital.
Councillor Empinado became the President of the Filipino Canadian Association in Kitimat and the contract steward for the BC Nurses Union at Kitimat General Hospital. He was then elected Steward Liaison and Member Educator for the BC Nurses Union of the Northwest.
Councillor Empinado is Council's representative to the Advisory Persons with Disabilities Commission, and an alternate representative to the Advisory Recreation Commission, Theatre Advisory Commission, and Northern Development Initiative Trust.
Edwin's guiding principle for his life has been, "Hard work, self-sacrifice, leading and living by example, member and community involvement, forgetting not who you are, and where you come from, will always reap a good harvest."
Councillor Mario Feldhoff
Councillor Mario Feldhoff is beginning his fifth term on Kitimat Council having served for the past twelve years. Born and raised in Kitimat, he believes Kitimat is on the cusp of significant economic growth and the accompanying dynamism last experienced in the 1970's and 1980's. He believes Kitimat to be an exceptional community with unparalleled potential.
Married to Brenda since 1985, they have three daughters; two presently attending UNBC in Prince George with the youngest in Grade eleven at Mt. Elizabeth Secondary High School. A Chartered Accountant by profession with a BA majoring in Commerce from Simon Fraser University, Mario has worked at Rio Tinto's Kitimat smelter since 1988. His prior work experience included public accounting with KPMG in Vancouver, service with the BC Auditor General in Victoria and working for a privately owned logging company in Prince Rupert. Councillor Feldhoff has served on the Advisory Planning Commission, Museum and Library Board, the Health Advocacy Group and is a strong advocate for economic development continuing to add to Kitimat's growth.
Councillor Phil Germuth
Councillor Phil Germuth is beginning his first term as a District of Kitimat Councillor. He was born and raised in Kitimat and is a proud dad of three sons. A licensed Automotive Technician, Phil started Phil's Mobile Service in 1992. He has continued to serve the people of Kitimat ever since.
Phil has served on the Economic Development Commission and the Advisory Planning Commission. Phil is also a member of the Kitimat Gyro Club. In his spare time Phil enjoys downhill skiing; trying to make a golf ball go where he wants; and vacations that include hot sun, beaches and staying hydrated :).
As a councillor Phil is looking forward to working hard and being part of an exciting future for Kitimat. His 2012 assignments include representing Kitimat Council on the Traffic Committee and as Council liaison to the Kitimat Literacy Program.
Rob Goffinet
Councillor Rob Goffinet is serving his second term as an elected official after spending over three decades involved at all levels of electoral politics in Northwest B.C. as a volunteer. He is a retired elementary school teacher who, over his 35-year career, had taught multiple generations of Kitimat youth. He received a B.A. in Sociology and Political Science and his professional PDP training from Simon Fraser University.
Councillor Goffinet's Kitimat Council assignments for 2012 include the Kitimat Museum & Archives Board, the Theatre Advisory Committee and the Kitimat Health Advocacy Group. He has previously served as liaison to the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce and UNBC.
Rob has served on the Kitimat Health Advocacy Group since its inception and presently serves as its Director/Spokesperson. He is the Board Chair and a Director of his local church.
Councillor Goffinet is committed to Kitimat's future. As a teacher, he had been an active advocate for improvements to British Columbia's and Kitimat's schools. As a Councillor he has advocated for all facets of health care, education and wellness for all generations of Kitimat citizens. He believes government's role is to work openly and honestly in the quest to deliver second-to-none services to current residents and future residents and to all visitors to the community.
Councillor Goffinet sees Kitimat's future involving an expanded economic base of small businesses, including recreation and tourism focussed on Douglas Channel and the North Coast, as well as larger export-oriented industries which will continue to be the foundation of our community economy.
When not involved in community matters, Rob loves to spend time with his wife, six children and six grandchildren, most of whom presently live in Kitimat.
Councillor Mary Murphy
Councillor Mary Murphy is serving her first term on Kitimat Council. Kitimat has been Mary's home for 54 years. Mary was born in Madeira, Portugal and she values the choices and sacrifices her parents made in seeking better opportunities for their family in Kitimat.
Mary and her husband Harry have raised their two daughters in Kitimat and have been blessed with six grandchildren. They have enjoyed the beauty of our area growing up, especially the Douglas Channel. They had the pleasure of skiing all winter and boating all summer.
In February 2010 Mary retired from Eurocan Pulp and Paper when the operation closed. She brings 34 years of industrial experience and a wealth of knowledge in a variety of positions, primarily in the health and safety field, as well as many years of experience as a management/labour activist to the table. Mary was the first woman to hold the position of President of CEP Local 298 in the Pulp and Paper Industry, a position she held until the mill closed.
Mary currently instructs health and safety programs and loves golfing, skiing, her animals, but mostly spending time with her wonderful grandchildren and family. Her current Council assignments include serving on the Advisory Recreation Commission and the Library Board.
Mary looks forward to working with Council to promote environmental excellence, industrial and economic development, building relationships with the Haisla and our neighbouring communities to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Kitimat. "Success is accomplished not by one, but by a hard working group/or groups".
