MLA: Hon. Mary Polak - Langley - Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation

Dearest Heavenly Father, we thank You for the Honourable Mary Polak the MLA for Langley and the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, and ask that You guide her in the way she should go. We pray that You will also give her all the wisdom she needs to accomplish all that You set before her to accomplish.  May she be energized and enthusiastic as she fulfills her daily duties and may she sense Your leading in all the decisions she must make.  Bless her with times of true rest and seasons of refreshing.  We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Mary Polak was appointed Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation on March 14, 2011. She was re-elected to the B.C. Legislature in 2009, having represented the constituents of Langley since 2005.

Prior to her new Cabinet post, Mary served as the Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister Responsible for Child Care, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health.

Mary previously sat on the Cabinet Committee on New Relationship Coordination and the Government Caucus Committee on Social Development as well as on the Government Caucus Committee for Natural Resources and the Economy, the Select Standing Committees for Children and Youth, Education and Public Accounts, the Cabinet Committee on Agenda Development and the Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act.

Before being elected to the Legislative Assembly, Mary Polak was director of operations for a small polling and research firm and a trustee and former chair of the Surrey School Board. Under her leadership, Surrey became the first school district in B.C. to balance its books according to generally accepted accounting principles. She also led an initiative to make Surrey the first school district in the province to publish school-by-school results for both elementary and secondary schools.

Throughout her nine years in local government, Mary has worked with many regional and provincial organizations. As a representative to the Lower Mainland Consortium of School Districts for Successful Settlement, she twice presented briefs to the Federal Immigration Commission. In the mid 1990s, Mary chaired the Council of British Columbia School Districts and in 2003, was elected to the board of directors of the British Columbia School Trustees Association.

Mary lives happily in the Willoughby area of Langley.