***& Halifax Media Release

(Center right in photo)

Coun. Lisa Blackburn acclaimed deputy mayor

District 14 (Middle/Upper Sackville – Beaver Bank – Lucasville) Coun. Lisa Blackburn was elected by acclamation today by her fellow councillors to serve for the next year as deputy mayor for Halifax Regional Municipality.

The new deputy mayor takes over from Deputy Mayor Tony Mancini who held the position for the past 12 months.

“I am humbled by the trust my council colleagues have placed in me and I will use this opportunity to encourage more women to run for public office in this election year,” Deputy Mayor Blackburn said.

“Council has some big decisions to make in the next year and serving as deputy mayor gives me a chance to visit with more residents in the municipality and hear how they feel about the issues facing us,” Blackburn said.

Deputy Mayor Blackburn has been a member of Regional Council since winning her seat in the last general election on Oct. 15, 2016.

A lifelong resident of District 14, Blackburn believes it’s important to give back to the community that has given her so much.

Her community service work has included leadership roles with the Cobequid Community Health Centre, Crime Stoppers, the MS Society, the Metro United Way, Muscular Dystrophy, the Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre, as well as local schools.

In 2015, Blackburn was presented with the Halifax Regional Municipality Volunteer Award and sees serving as a municipal councillor as a natural extension of her community service.

Blackburn serves on many municipal committees, boards, and commissions, and continues to look for opportunities to make positive contributions as an elected official.

Blackburn lives in Beaver Bank with her husband Jamie Paterson. She has a daughter, Bronwyn, who is a third-year nursing student, and a stepdaughter who studies in Ontario.