MLA: Hon. Rich Coleman - Fort Langley-Aldergrove - Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Housing

As we pray for the Hon. Rich Coleman today, we ask that Your grace would be sufficient for him.  Thank You for his stewardship with regard to the energy resources You have blessed our province with.  Give him wisdom and great discernment as he oversees this great responsibility.  Help him in his equally important role of Minister Responsible for Housing as he works to find creative and workable solutions that will be a blessing to those in need of safe shelter within our province.  Lead him to people, strategies and resources that will be a blessing to him and his staff.

Rich Coleman was appointed Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Housing on March 14, 2011. He was re-elected for a fourth term as MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove in the 2009 general election.

Rich’s previous cabinet positions include Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Housing and Social Development and Minister of Forests and Range.

Rich’s dedication and passion for public service was shaped by his parents—a father who was a civil servant and a mother who was school teacher. They taught their children that community came first, and that serving others was the noblest thing a person could commit themselves to. That community-first attitude has guided Rich his entire life.

Before entering public life, Rich was governor of the BC Kinsmen, president of the Aldergrove Chamber of Commerce, Langley’s 1988 Volunteer of the Year, and a director on several volunteer boards. As a member of the Aldergrove Kinsmen Club in the 1980s, Rich oversaw the volunteer fundraising and construction efforts that built the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre, a vital community facility which houses a preschool, library, workout area, and meeting space. The Club was also involved in building a successful housing project in Aldergrove. Rich is a life member of the Kinsmen.

In recognition of his tireless and long-term work in the community, Rich has been awarded both Rotary’s top honour, the Paul Harris Fellowship, and the Kinsmen’s highest honour, the Hal Rogers Fellowship. Rich was the second person ever honoured with the Hal Rogers—the first being Kin founder Hal Rogers himself.

Rich has been elected four times (1996, 2001, 2005, and 2009) as MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove. He has previously served as Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and Minister of Forests and Range. He and his wife Michele live in the Fraser Valley.