[ OUR CITY ]
LEADING
FROM THE
HEART
MAYOR'S STRONG LEADERSHIP SERVES CITY WELL
With many wins under his belt which include strong economic growth, a world-class hospital, a subway,
a visionary plan for a downtown core, a city ranking among the best in Canada, one of the safest
communities in North America, a professional soccer team, as well as citizens who are happy to live in a
city that strives for excellence, Maurizio Bevilacqua looks to the future with confidence and optimism.
In him, the residents have found a leader who has inspired civic pride.
The great Martin Luther King Jr. once said,
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” If he
were alive today, we could tell Dr. King that
our Mayor, Maurizio Bevilacqua was the
embodiment of those exact words. A leader
is not a leader until he/she is called into being by the people who are ready to be led,
and six years ago, the people overwhelmingly voted for their Mayor of choice. Two
years ago they renewed their faith in that
same leader, Maurizio Bevilacqua, by giving him a resounding vote of confidence
as a way to once again express their trust
and confidence in his leadership.
ant, but he is still passionate as ever, he is
open and approachable. Each person who
recognizes him and takes time to greet him
is met with the same friendliness they extend him. But make no mistake, this friendly
demeanor is balanced by a deep desire and
determination to compete and win for his
city, your city. He is a very disciplined individual who is focused on his agenda. People
who work with him will tell you that his days
are packed with meetings, briefing sessions,
events, community outreach and active promotion of the city. He often works seven
days a week, ensuring that the needs of the
citizens are met.
Known as the people’s Mayor, he is a person full of optimism, of hope and serves
his constituents with gratitude and passion.
Gone are the days of petty gamesmanship
and weak leadership. Rather Vaughan has
undergone a complete transformation resulting in a city standing tall in its own right –
significantly investing in transit, generating
jobs, encouraging economic growth while
keeping taxes low and providing an exceptional quality of life for its citizens.
The Mayor brings a wealth of political experience winning 10 consecutive election
campaigns. At the federal level, he had a long
reign as Chair of the Commons Finance
Committee during a tough and a very difficult period for the Canadian economy. Many
of his recommendations were implemented
in the federal budgets, which brought about
Canada’s economic renaissance.
As we sat in a local coffee shop, sharing a cup
of tea, Mayor Bevilacqua tells me his role as
Mayor is one that is fulfilling and rewarding.
There is a calm confidence about him that
makes it easy to engage in conversation. His
style is still more understated than flamboy-
“I was elected based upon an agenda for
change. Politics is not difficult when it is purpose driven. All my actions are aligned with
my values, principles and beliefs. I am motivated by public service – it is a calling.” Bevilacqua has established an impresive network
with all levels of government and continues
to promote Vaughan as a world-class city. Of
note is his close relationship with Minister
of Transportation Steven Del Duca who he
considers a “close and trusted” friend.
PowerStream President and CEO Brian
Bentz with whom he has worked closely
with as Chair of the PowerStream board,
says, “His servant leadership style is not
only based on the concept of serving others,
it is also based on humility. He believes that
each of us can realize our potential if we see
life through a different lens – one of helping
others through humble service. His message
has been truly inspiring.” Bentz and Bevilacqua’s mutual respect and admiration has
been in full display most recently during the
journey of the mega merger of three major
utilities in the province of Ontario. Once
approved, it will be the second largest electricity distribution company in the province.
An impressive achievement.
It was Bill Gates who once said, “As we look
ahead into the next century, leaders will be
those who empower others.” It is also a philosophy that Mayor Bevilacqua embraces. “I
have been blessed to have a very supportive
Council, administration and staff that is focused and disciplined where everyone makes
a contribution to city building. These are
people who care about public service and
work very hard to achieve positive results for
the citizens of Vaughan.” Still true for Mayor
Bevilacqua today as it was in 2010, “Public
service as a vocation is less about the title and
2016 \ Celebrate Vaughan
9