Margaret Bateman
Chair, Edmonton Regional
Airports Authority
Flying below the radar has never hurt Margaret Bateman's ability to get results. The beleaguered Edmonton Regional Airports Authority turned to Bateman to lead its board of directors in January 2004 due to her considerable image-making and management acumen. As the one-time managing director of the Alberta government's Public Affairs Bureau, Bateman helped stickhandle several tricky issues for the Getty government, including the collapse of the Principal Group and the privatization of AGT. She left the public sector in 1990 to form Calder Bateman Communications, a high-powered Edmonton-based firm boasting an impressive client list. Appointed to the airport authority's board in 1999, Bateman stamped her imprint on the organization by hiring Reg Milley to replace outgoing CEO Scott Clements, who retired in February. While shunning the spotlight, Bateman travelled to Lethbridge to talk to civic leaders who were upset about the decision to stop scheduled flights from Edmonton's City Centre Airport. Bateman has also quietly lent her talents to several community and political initiatives in Alberta's capital city, including playing a key role in securing the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and helping to organize an important fundraiser for Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan's 2004 re-election. - WG
Which does Edmonton need more: better service to regional centres in Alberta or more flights to international destinations?
The most important thing is that there is balance between the two priorities. How can we have the international service that we need for the capital region to become a major staging area for the development that is going to take place across the Northwest? At the same time, we need to make sure Albertans have access to the province's capital city quickly and efficiently. It is a question of balance, not an either/or question.
Who do you think is the greatest Albertan ever?
If you base greatness on what will happen next, I would have to say Dr. Karl Clark, who did all that grinding research work on the oilsands over 20 years. Were going to live off that for the next 100 years. He just plodded away as a researcher for a year, but was passionate about it and convinced people to look at it.
In 100 years, will you warrant your own chapter in the history books, a footnote to great events or a single Google hit?
Definitely a single Google hit and that would be fine with me. Im more of a watcher of human events. By then, well all have a Google hit.
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