If one were to look in a dictionary for the word Canadian there’s a good chance you would see a picture of George Rogers. Rogers was born in 1958 on the island of Jamaica and came to Canada, with his folks, in 1975 at the age of 16 and would graduate from Leduc High School in 1977.
Both his parents were teachers and Rogers knew the meaning of getting a good education. After graduation he attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and in 1980 was awarded a diploma in business administration with an accounting major. Rogers followed up this diploma with a certificate in local government studies from the University of Alberta in 1988.
During this time Rogers worked in the oil industry and as a municipal administrator. He returned to Leduc in 1992 and began a career as a real estate agent for Royal LePage. It is at this time that Rogers felt the urge to contribute to the development of the city and ran for city council. Perhaps to his surprise he won and would return for a second term in 1995. In October of 1998 he was elected as the city’s mayor and would be re-elected in 2001.
In 2004 Rogers again climbed out on a limb and ran for the Alberta Legislative Assembly and in November became the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Leduc/Beaumont/Devon electoral district. It would be a position he would hold until 2015. During his time as an MLA Rogers would be a tireless advocate for his district being successful in bringing numerous grants to the district along with the development of new schools for Beaumont and Leduc and the twinning of Highway 19 being just some of his successful efforts. MLA Rogers never held a high profile cabinet position but his ability to work with others would result in him chairing numerous legislative committees and serving as the deputy speaker of the House for three years.
On June 22 the City of Leduc paid tribute to his long-term contributions made to the city and the district by presenting him with a print of the mural created by local artist Jeanine Mcintosh that is featured in the Leduc Recreation Centre. A mural that represents the coming together of all people for a common cause and a fitting tribute to a man that has worked his entire life to bring people together for the common good.
George thanked the council and his family, who were present for the presentation, for allowing him the opportunity to serve and give back to a community that had accepted him and his parents with open arms and made them feel welcomed.