Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development
Last updated on December 7, 2022
Roly Russell was elected MLA for Boundary-Similkameen in the 2020 general election.
Before running for provincial office, Roly served as an elected leader with the Kootenay-Boundary Regional District, the president of the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments, as chair of the local credit union board, and as a member of the executive of the Union of BC Municipalities.
When Grand Forks was hit hard by flooding in 2018, Roly helped lead the community’s response by coordinating with emergency operations and between different levels of government to secure needed assistance. Through the flooding response, he helped establish a new model of community-led disaster recovery.
Roly has a Ph.D. in ecology, and his science focused on biodiversity and sustainability, including decision-making under uncertainty such as climate change. He has developed local food strategies, co-founded an agricultural society & two food co-operatives, sat on the board of the Certified Organic Association of BC, and owned and operated an organic farm with his partner Christine and their two children.