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Industry icon remembered

By Melanie Franner

Diane Slater may not have set out to create a long and illustrious career in Fort McMurray but she certainly helped the community grow and prosper in the 35-plus years she called it home. She remained an active participant and strong advocate throughout that time, even in 2015 when she retired from her official duties. Home is where the heart is Slater moved to Fort McMurray in 1980, with her first husband, Ross, and two children, Lana and Ryan. Both were under 10 at the time. As a newcomer to Fort McMurray, and with both children in school, Slater sought out and soon found a position as a receptionist with Fort McMurray Tourism. This ultimately turned into a management position and started her on the road to managing non-profit organizations. “She wasn’t a traditional parent,” says her daughter Lana Maloney, executive director of the Fort McMurray Construction Association (FMCA). “She wasn’t a stay-at-home mom who cooked and cleaned. She barely cooked a day in her life. She was a values person. She valued values.” That focus on values served Slater well over the years, where she would eventually serve as a two-time councillor, an assistant to NormWeiss, MLA and acting mayor of the Regional Unfortunately, Slater passed away only one year later. She was 66.

Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Although heavily involved in the activities at city hall, Slater is perhaps best known for her role as chief administrative officer of Fort McMurray’s Chamber of Commerce and FMCA. The two organizations shared office space and personnel at the time — a mutually beneficial arrangement that continued up until 2014. “I was the vice-president at the Chamber when Diane took over the reins,” says Robert Gazzard, past president of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce. “We convinced Diane to take on the position. She was reluctant at first. It took a while to convince her but it really wasn’t that hard.” “The Chamber actually sought her out for the position,” she says. “She wasn’t sure she wanted to take it on. She didn’t know if she wanted to work full time and she knew that it would be a hard position to take on in that the group was little more than a social club back then.” Slater opted to take the chance and remained at the helm for the next 15 years. “It took her a bit of time but she soon changed things around at the Chamber,” says Gazzard. “She started on re-directing the focus to become Maloney remembers her mother’s concerns at the time.

Diane Slater.

Melissa Blake, mayor, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Robert Gazzard, past president, Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce.

Fort McMurray Construction Association 64