Randy Thorsteinson
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Randy Thorsteinson (born November 8, 1959) is a politician and businessman in Alberta, Canada.
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[edit] Education
Thorsteinson graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a major in business management. He received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania followed by a Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics.
[edit] Buisness ventures
He was one of the founders of Carlson Tours and Incentive Travel Ltd. which subsequently changes its name to Cascadia Motivation Inc. The company was established in 1984 and is currently the largest Canadian owned performance improvement company in Canada. Thorsteinson is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the company.
[edit] Early political career
He entered politics as the Red Deer Riding President for the Reform Party of Canada in 1988 and served in this position for three years. He joined the Alberta Social Credit Party in 1991, and became leader the following year.
Under Thorsteinson, Social Credit experienced the beginnings of a rebirth, and in the 1997 general election, the party nominated 70 candidates and collected almost seven per cent of the popular vote, but failed to win any seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
By 1999, however, Thorsteinson, a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was at odds with his party after a movement within the party wanted to limit the involvement of Latter-day Saints. Thorsteinson quit the party in April 1999 and became involved with the Alberta First Party.
[edit] Alberta Alliance
As the Alberta First Party began to collapse, Randy led a movement to form the Alberta Alliance Party, The party successfully met the registration requirements and he became the party's leader at a convention in February 2003.
Thorsteinson's new party gained momentum immediately following the 2004 federal election when Edmonton Norwood Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Gary Masyk crossed the floor to join the Alberta Alliance, and bring Alberta Alliance representation into the legislature.
Later that year in the 2004 provincial election, Thorsteinson placed second in votes in his riding (electoral district) of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, failing to become a MLA. His party won one seat in the election; Paul Hinman was elected MLA for the riding of Cardston-Taber-Warner.
On March 7, 2005, Thorsteinson announced his resignation as leader of the Alberta Alliance, saying he would not be able to devote the time and energy into the party. Paul Hinman, the lone Alliance MLA in the legislature succeeded Thorsteinson as leader.
Randy supported and endorsed leadership candidate Ed Klop in the race to succeed him as leader in the 2005 leadership convention.
Randy continues to be active in the Alliance party. He was elected as President of the Alberta Alliance at the 2007 Annual General Meeting held on March 24, 2007 in Edmonton Alberta, he had been serving as interim president of the party after former president John Murdoch stepped down.
[edit] Honors
Thorsteinson is under consideration as one of the 100 most influential Mormons of all time.[1]
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Robert Alford |
Social Credit Party of Alberta Leader 1993-1999 |
Succeeded by James Alberts |
| Preceded by New Party |
Alberta Alliance Party Leader 2003-2005 |
Succeeded by Eleanor Maroes |
| Preceded by John Murdoch |
Alberta Alliance Party President 2007-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
