Dan Backs Biography
Dan Backs is experienced in many endeavours. He is an accomplished negotiator and has worked in government, industrial construction, pipeline, roadbuilding, owned his own business and operated a farm. Dan has skills in farming, cabinetmaking , carpentry, sawmill operations, welding, solar energy use and large heavy equipment operation. He has been employed as a writer, negotiator, manager, labour market analyst and has been an elected representative.
Dan was the elected MLA for Edmonton Manning from 2004 to 2008. As the official Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Immigration in the Alberta Legislature, he managed to change or influence numerous regulations and laws and was a very active representative for NE Edmonton. He worked on bringing new schools, recreation resources, community enhancements and improved transportation to the NE. He participated in the successful community campaigns to stop the ill planned stockyards from locating in the NE and led the fight to ensure that the 2500+ prisoner remand center would not be located in Clareview’s backyard. Many said he was the most successful area MLA in many years.
As an Independent MLA, he received wide support from both small business, labour and community representatives for his legislative initiatives. Dan has support and many contacts in all the political parties and many sectors of the community,Dan has traveled extensively, working and traveling in 49 countries to date. He even traveled to West Africa at his own expense with local community representatives to get a sense of conditions in the countries of origin of new immigrants he had worked with. As an MLA he was even asked to speak in the Parliament of Sierra Leone.
Dan has served on many boards and commissions, such as the United Way Allocations Committee, Theatre Network, The Deputy Prime Ministers Task Force on Program Review in Government Spending, McMann Youth Services. Dan is an executive member on the North Edmonton Kiwanis Club Executive.
Dan has been an active volunteer organizing many charitable fundraisers for charities such as MS, Juvenile Diabetes, the Youth Emergency Centre and Breast Cancer research as well as important community facilities such as rinks and playgrounds. Dan has coached in football and hockey.
Dan Backs has an active and loving extended family and is in a long term relationship with Marsha.