Council

Mayor Rob Vagramov (currently on leave)

Mayor Rob Vagramov is among the youngest leaders ever elected to serve Port Moody. He has a passion for public service, a commitment to good government that serves the entire community, and a bold vision for the city's future. Rob is committed to keeping Port Moody's amazing quality of life front and centre as the city grows.

Contact Rob Vagramov

To get in touch with Rob, you can email rvagramov@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4515.

About the Mayor

Rob grew up in Port Moody, and has lived in the Seaview, Moody Centre, and North Shore neighbourhoods. Seeking freedom and a fresh start, Rob's family settled here in the 1990s, having escaped Ukraine during the Soviet collapse. This experience sparked Rob's political interests early in life, and drew him to study Business Management and Political Science at the University of Ottawa.

As a business professional, Rob has built expertise in digital technology and media. Over the last eight years, he has worked for a Vancouver-based technology firm, operating as an independent contractor - a one-man small business. Providing media services to a local NGO has given Rob the opportunity to combine his professional skills with his commitment to positive social change.

At City Hall, Rob has chaired or vice-chaired a broad range of civic committees, including the Community Planning Advisory Committee, the Environmental Protection Committee, the Youth Focus Committee, the Seniors' Focus Committee, the Master Transportation Plan Steering Committee, and the Transportation Committee.

During his time on Council, Rob brought important local initiatives to the table, including:

• investigating the divestment of city investments from risky fossil fuel markets
• protecting and expanding the city's key park assets (Bert Flinn Park, and Rocky Point Park)
• using City owned lands for community uses
• fast-tracking the phasing out of single use plastics
• investigating the removal of Ioco Road from Translink's Major Road Network to restrict thru traffic

Rob was recently elected by the Mayors and Councillors of the Lower Mainland to serve as Vice President of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association, after three years of service on its Board of Directors.

With a steady eye on Port Moody's future, Rob brings his own fresh perspective to the challenges that come before City Council. He strives to stay open to new ideas – especially those coming from the community – and never hesitates to stand up for what he sincerely believes.

Councillor Diana Dilworth

Diana was first elected to City Council in 1999 and she is currently serving her fifth term as a City Councillor.

Contact Diana

To get in touch with Diana, you can email ddilworth@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4516.

About Diana

As a Councillor, Diana takes pride in championing many initiatives, including the establishment of the annual Business Excellence Awards for local small businesses, the building of a free-standing hospice within the community, the development of a community sustainability plan and bringing back a community parade which was dormant for 40 years. More recently, Diana facilitated the creation of a local Sports Hall of Fame for Port Moody. She has also taken the lead in the development of a strategic tourism plan for the City.

Diana's 30-year business career includes working for the federal government, for small private business, and as a home-based business owner with her own consultancy company.

Her 20+ years of community service includes participating with, and providing leadership for, a diverse number of non-profit organizations. This includes the Terry Fox Run, Golden Spike Days, District 43 Parent Advisory Council, Girl Guides, and the Port Moody Aquarians. Together with two friends, she has founded a non-profit organization that promotes and fundraises for community development and awareness of non-profit services within the Tri-Cities.

Diana is a graduate of Capilano University's certificate program in Local Government Administration and she has spent the last ten years pursuing a degree in Business Administration in her spare time.

She has lived in Port Moody for over 25 years, has two adult children, and is head over heels in love with her grand-puppy Nala, a blue Staffordshire pitbull terrier.

Councillor Meghan Lahti

First elected to council in 1996.With a common-sense approach, Meghan has been an important member of council throughout the past 20+ years.

Meghan’s passion lies in environmental leadership and she has been involved in, and spearheaded, many initiatives in the City of Port Moody over the years. Of note, Meghan was proud to be the recipient of the 2019 Clements Award for “Most Outstanding Politician in Canada”. This National Award is given out annually to one politician who has contributed in a significant way to protection of the environment and fur-bearing animals.

In addition to being involved in many environmental initiatives, Meghan has chaired every committee in the City, most notably the Finance Committee. She has been the char of this committee for 15 years, working with council and staff to ensure that the fiscal accountability and financial management of the city is maintained appropriately.

Regionally, Meghan has served as the First Director on the Board of Directors for Metro Vancouver, as well as the Alternate Director for Metro Vancouver from 2002 – 2018. She also served as a Director on the Board of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) from 2004 – 2006. 

Contact Meghan

To get in touch with Meghan, you can email mlahti@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4586.

Councillor Amy Lubik

Amy grew up on the border of Port Moody and Coquitlam and had her first job in Port Moody as a baker at an independent deli. Her family spent much of their time in and on the waters of Burrard Inlet and they still spend as much time there as they can. She now lives in Newport Village with her sister and her cat, Bella. She also plays music at local events and trains for half marathons by running at Rocky Point.

Contact Amy

To get in touch with Amy, you can email alubik@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4584.

About Amy

Amy graduated from SFU, where she was very active in humanitarian causes, with a degree in microbiology and biochemistry. After completing an Honours thesis in HIV research, she travelled to Ukraine to teach HIV education at high schools and universities.

After graduating, she was offered a full scholarship to complete a PhD in prostate cancer research at the Queensland University of Technology, where she completed her thesis and started a chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicine. She worked with professors and students to make sure all drugs and technologies developed by her institute would not patent in low and middle-income countries, so that those who might need them most might be able to afford them.

Amy began her successful health career investigating bone metastasis and cancer stem cells, but started the transition to public health and policy after learning about how the social determinants of health (such as housing, income, environment and the policies that affect them) make a much bigger difference to people's health than their biology. Her transition began by working on a project called Cities Changing Diabetes, investigating how municipal policies and design can influence the prevalence and outcomes of a silent epidemic. Throughout her career, she has investigated how municipal design, including housing styles, can influence mental health and social isolation, and how cities can become resilient to climate change.

She is also a long-time volunteer and social/environmental justice advocate in the Tri-Cities and across BC. She volunteers for the Public Health Association of BC to advance poverty reduction, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment around issues like hydraulic fracturing and climate change, the Tri-Cities Refugee Welcome Wagon, Coalition for a Healthy Riverview, Force of Nature Alliance, Leadnow, and Amnesty International.

Councillor Hunter Madsen - Acting Mayor

Councillor Madsen is currently the Acting Mayor of Port Moody.

I joined Council in October 2017 to fill the seat vacated by my colleague and friend Rick Glumac, after he was chosen to serve as our city's new MLA in Victoria. With voters granting me a strong, renewed mandate for the 2018-2022 term, I feel deeply honoured to serve you, and will continue my vigilant efforts to ensure that Port Moody's growth stays in balance with the city's remarkable liveability.

Contact Hunter

To get in touch with Hunter, you can email hmadsen@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4585.

About Hunter

In the Tri-Cities, folks initially got to know me through my work to organize the Save Bert Flinn Park initiative. This is an expansive movement of residents and outdoors enthusiasts that have sought to keep the city's largest park intact as a sublime natural getaway (without a traffic corridor transecting it) and that works to preserve the tranquil quality that has drawn so many to Port Moody's north shore.

I have also been active locally in both provincial and federal politics, with a strong longstanding commitment to green values and sustainability economics. (And I do mean longstanding: at age sixteen, on the first anniversary of Earth Day, I conducted my high school's first teaching module on environmental issues; also, being an avid hiker, I am a Life Member of the Sierra Club.)

Beyond that, my political outlook is non-partisan, moderate but progressive, pragmatic and forward-looking. My priorities for the coming term are:

• supporting moderate growth that carefully protects Port Moody's remarkable quality of life
• figuring out how best for the city to grow without compounding our traffic challenges
• delivering more affordable housing in our city (especially, more moderately priced rentals) that ordinary people can afford
• making the most of Port Moody's amazing parks, protecting them from overuse and enhancing them with expanded space as the city's population grows
• helping to attract more clean and sustainable industries to Port Moody
• finding practical ways to reduce our city's carbon footprint

In terms of professional background, I earned my Masters and Ph.D. degrees in the field of Government from Harvard University, where I also taught for a couple years before entering the business world. My career thereafter was mainly in the digital industry and Silicon Valley. In addition to co-founding several internet startups, I was an executive at Wired and a digital-media pioneer at the ad agency giant J. Walter Thompson. (You'll find the rest of my career experience on LinkedIn.)

I moved north from the States in 2006 to head up marketing for Yahoo in Canada, and now I'm proudly a Canadian citizen. More recently, I served as vice president of digital media for the Vancouver Sun, The Province, and the Victoria Times- Colonist, along with other major metro news brands in the Canwest/Postmedia family.

An author and long-time civic activist, I come from a family of dedicated artists and writers, and now split my workdays between serving the citizens of Port Moody and furthering my career in photographic art.

Considering my family roots in the art world, my other interests, and my undiminished passion for the outdoors, I count my lucky stars to have settled down, at last, in this warm and beautiful hometown community, our beloved City of the Arts.

Councillor Steve Milani

Let me start by saying, I love this city! With its scenic waterfront, gorgeous parks and small town charm, Port Moody is the perfect place to call home. Drawn to its strong sense of community, my wife and I moved to Port Moody over twenty years ago as we thought it'd be the ideal place to raise a family.

Contact Steve

To get in touch with Steve, you can email smilani@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4517.

About Steve

A hands-on type person, I designed and built our family home in Moody Centre, just a short walk to the picturesque Rocky Point Park. You can often find me there jogging Shoreline Trail or catching a sunset on the pier. Over the last three decades, I've built and maintained two successful small businesses, working as both a designer-goldsmith and music professional, making the 'City of the Arts' the perfect place to call home.

I have always been an active member of our community, joining the Moody Centre Community Association shortly after moving here and in recent years, serving as a Board Director. Before being elected, I was also a member of the Citizen Advisory Group and a familiar face at the podium during public input periods at council meetings. I also donate my time in support of various community groups such as ACCESS Youth Outreach Services, where I've had the honour of providing both music and Emcee services at past Galas. Raising three children has helped me understand the importance of youth services in our city.

My goal, during my term on Council, is to ensure that Port Moody grows responsibly while maintaining its unique character and charm, preserving and enhancing the special qualities we love about our amazing city.

Councillor Zoë Royer

Zoë Royer moved to Newport Village in 2004 and now lives in Port Moody's Pleasantside neighbourhood with her husband and two daughters.

Contact Zoë

To get in touch with Zoë, you can email zroyer@portmoody.ca or call 604-469-4518.

About Zoë

As a successful health administrator, Zoë Royer brings strong business skills and sincere concern for people and their issues to Council. She works in a profession where people care for people and where thoughtful human interaction is still the best way to communicate. She also understands the challenges experienced by business owners, knowing what it takes to make payroll and run a successful business.

Zoë hosted exchange students from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, for one to three years at a time. This was her way of bringing cultural diversity into her home and enriching the lives of her own children in a home free of any prejudice.

A dedicated volunteer, Zoë Royer believes in nurturing civic engagement and volunteerism. She served homeless persons on night shifts at Tri-Cities shelters and hosted fundraising events for the Port Moody Arts Centre and Crossroads Hospice. As former Director of the Golden Spike Days Society, she ran highly successful fundraising campaigns for special events and school projects.

The sustainable home that Zoë and her husband designed and built in Port Moody was featured in the Vancouver Sun, magazines and conferences, for its green technology. Passionate for the environment, Zoë hosted Earth Day events to build awareness of climate change and environmental protection. She also delivered lectures to architects, engineers, and builders.

Years ago, Zoë experienced the hardships of being a single mother struggling to make ends meet. She knows what today's families and persons on fixed incomes are going through. She knows that what keeps people going during hard times is access to affordable services such as recreation and library resources.