About Kristen.

​Hello! Thank you for being here.

My name is Kristen Shima, and I am excited to run for Airdrie City Council to serve our amazing community with vision, experience, and heart.​ Airdrie has been home to my family and me for 21 years. Together with my husband, Kyle, and our three children (Seiya, Sakai, and Takeo), we’ve built a life rooted in connection, contribution, and care for this city.​​

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Community-building is a skill I have been developing throughout the years. It takes practice, reflection, and a willingness to learn and unlearn. In my current career, I have built experience and knowledge in urban revitalization, community engagement, land use planning, policy development, creative placemaking, and asset-based community development, and have been involved in numerous community projects.

I have worked alongside communities for over 10 years, developing projects including the Airdrie Homecoming Festival, Airdrie CultureFest, AirdrieFEST, attracting investments up to $225M, and securing over 250K in grant funding for festivals, public art, social programs, downtown revitalization, and circular economy projects.

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For the initial part of my career, I was an entrepreneur for 14 years in Airdrie, and operated an award-winning creative industry business. That work connected me with incredible residents, local organizations, and businesses, including the Airdrie Food Bank, Airdrie Community Links, and the Airdrie Regional Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, I co-founded the Airdrie Regional Arts Society (ARTS), where I served as Vice-President. Through ARTS, I helped launch community events like the Airdrie Holiday Market, the ARTS Show, and supported initiatives such as the Empty Bowls Festival for the Airdrie Food Bank.

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"Through this work, I came to realize something powerful: community builders are changemakers. That inspired a career shift — from entrepreneur to full-time community builder."

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Over the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to learning and serving for community. I earned a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, specializing in Regenerative Sustainable Community Development, along with certifications in Cultural Planning & Development, Community Economic Development, Sustainable Tourism, and Project Management. I’ve worked directly within municipalities, including the Town of Sylvan Lake, the Town of Strathmore, and the City of Airdrie in departments such as Culture, Tourism, Economic Development, and Community Development.

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Today, I serve as the Executive Director of a Business Improvement Area (BIA) in Calgary with Inglewood. In this role, I support over 220 businesses through main street and downtown revitalization, commercial and industrial development, land use bylaws, policy development, and building relationships and partnerships with the City of Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, Travel Alberta, Calgary Tourism, Calgary Arts Development, and the provincial and federal governments.

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I am running because I believe Airdrie requires transformative leaders with both grassroots experience and regional perspective - someone who has built, collaborated, and delivered on the ground and at the table. I bring experience, education, and community-led approaches in understanding municipal planning systems, policy development, and building community capacity towards getting the work done. 

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I am here to serve my community to have real and honest conversations towards actions in making a difference. It would be an honour to have your support and vote!

Kristen Shima
Candidate for Airdrie City Council