Our General Election is officially underway and we are excited to share the candidates with you! We are sharing the candidate profiles on our website and social media accounts to create awareness about our General Election and to encourage students to vote. The Students’ Association remains impartial and does not endorse any of the candidates.

Candidate profile & photo requirements: Maximum of 150 words for social media and a maximum of 500 words for the Students’ Association blog. If the maximum word count is exceeded, profiles will be cut off at the maximum allotted. Candidates must submit a photo and completed Consent for Use of Personal Image, Video, and Information by 4:00pm on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Profiles are not edited by the Students’ Association.

VOTE ON YOUR myRDP ACCOUNT
March 9 – 12

Executive Candidates

*profiles shared in alphabetical order by last name*

President Candidate

Samuel Johannson

Hi all! My name is Samuel Johannson, and I’m running to be President of your Students’ Association. Over the past year, I have served as Vice President External of the SA, and this role has been incredibly rewarding. I’m very proud of what we have been able to achieve in the past year, such as increasing the number of student discounts from 15 to 31, hosting a Mayoral candidates forum, and meeting with decision makers at all levels of government to represent the interests of RDP Students. This experience, combined with my previous roles as a member of Council in the 2024-25 year have prepared me for the job of President.

If I am given the chance to serve you as President, I intend to focus on ensuring better communication between your elected student leaders and the broader student body. This is easier said than done. I believe that the most effective way to communicate with students is through one-on-one conversations in the hallways and at tables. Meaningful progress towards this goal has been made in the past year through the advocacy committee—you may have spoken with one of the councillors on the committee at one of our various tables, but I believe this is work that must be built upon and momentum that must not be wasted.

It will be no simple work to ensure stronger and clearer lines of communication between students and their elected officials, but I believe that I have the necessary experience to make some real progress on increasing awareness of student government, while also ensuring that we always have our finger on the pulse of the student body when making major decisions.

I Look forward to talking to as many of you as possible. I want to hear your thoughts, concerns, feedback, and really anything else over the course of this election. I hope that by connecting with as many of you as possible, I will be able to earn your vote by election time. If you have any thoughts, concerns, ideas, or questions please feel free to email me at samuel.johannson@rdpolytech,ca. Also, if you want more updates on what’s going on during this campaign, come follow me on Instagram, my handle is @samuel_johannson_23.

Thank you for your time, and remember:

Don’t cram: Vote Sam!

Vice President Academic Candidates

Gerald Nel

Who am I? My name is Gerald. I am currently a third-year BA in Psychology student. I have a deep-rooted passion for art. I have been in three different bands, playing bass guitar. For a portion of my life, I invested in a career as a full-time artist, but found my way into the field of psychology, which I am incredibly passionate about. I am an immigrant from South Africa, where I grew up. Much of the experience I bring to the table stems from my time in Africa. Still, Canada has offered me nothing but opportunity and possibilities, and I am eternally grateful. With the growing diversity of individuals in RDP, I believe it is important that we learn to see not only from our own perspective but also from others’. Within RPD, we have several newcomers from various walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds. I believe that it is now more important than ever to be able to stand together and not stand separated or divided because of our differences. A lot of stigma and prejudice have their roots in a lack of knowledge or perspective. Empathy, the cure for what sets us apart, is rooted in truly understanding what it is like to be in another person’s position, but it is not something that comes without effort. I believe that implementing programs that educate us about the diverse ways of life will help shed light, guiding us to a deeper understanding of the people we share this experience with. If I were to be elected, this would be the focus of my work. I will do my best to implement programs that will serve as tools for education, giving each of us a better understanding of the pictures we do not always see. Regardless of your country of birth, your cultural background, your gender identity, and how you choose to present yourself to the world around you, you have the right to be heard. I believe that forming a deeper connection with each other through nonjudgmental learning will strengthen the bond we share as students. Not only will this create a social network between us and promote better mental, social, and cultural wellness, but I truly believe that, together, we can excel in our academic careers. Apart from promoting better understanding among us all, despite our differences, I want to contribute to better overall mental health across campus, which will, in turn, create an environment where we can excel in the pursuit of our goals through our academic careers. Let’s not be separated by what makes us unique. Let’s learn from each other and stand together so that not only I can find the path to success, but that WE will succeed as one.

Vice President External Candidates

Sage Huard

My name is Sage Huard (they/them), and I am a second-year student working towards my Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Anthropology. I have been here in Red Deer for fourteen years, and I have grown to love Red Deer dearly. I’m a writer first and foremost, working both creatively and academically.

I took on a Student’s Association Councillor role during the 2025 Fall semester, and I fell in love with the work our advocacy committee has accomplished. If you have seen me asking any of you to complete a survey, or questions regarding your experience here at RDP, you have contributed to the 2026/27 trajectory of future advocacy priorities, as well as discussions, meetings, and action plans regarding your concerns. Thank you!

With all that said, I hope to receive your vote for me as your Vice President External for the upcoming 2026/27 term. My platform is community-minded and has three foundational values, each with its own actionable steps.

  1. Creating More Opportunities for You to Network and Engage in our Communities: Students have expressed a lack of opportunities for meaningful connection & community, whether it be because of academia, work, family, or hardships. Whether these opportunities are rooted in professional development, socializing, or government engagement, here’s what I plan to do to bring them to you!
    • Reach out to organizations with a range of focuses (arts, immigration and cultural, career) and see what types of events and networks could result from our collaboration.
    • Advocate for further student & networking focused events that are flexible, accessible, and offered at a variety of times and locations.

  1. Strengthening Access to Advocacy and Communications: There has been a frustration at the lack of awareness of all the amazing things we do here at the Student’s Association. Instead of putting that onus on you, the student, here’s my plan to champion more awareness!
    • Have a meaningful portion of my office hours outside of my office, at an easily visible and accessible location. This would be similar to the tables you may have seen around campus hallways.
    • Contribute to further communications directly of my position’s efforts in a written format. Mediums could be a blog, newsletter, emails, etc.

  1. Continuing and Improving on the Legacy of past Executives: Past Executives have done amazing things, and while I bring a unique, community-minded perspective to this position, I do not want to neglect the boons of their hard work. Here are some of their accomplishments I hope to further improve upon!
    • There are currently 32 student discounts, and I hope to significantly increase that number, especially surrounding local businesses and purchases related to living costs.
    • The mayoral candidate forum that was hosted here in the Fall of 2025 is an example of the type of engagement I plan to curate. Hosting more community leaders here at RDP, with on-the-ground dialogue and questions, will be extremely impactful.

Candidate profile & photo requirements: Maximum of 150 words for social media and a maximum of 500 words for the Students’ Association blog. If the maximum word count is exceeded, profiles will be cut off at the maximum allotted. Candidates must submit a photo and completed Consent for Use of Personal Image, Video, and Information by 4:00pm on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Profiles are not edited by the Students’ Association.

Questions about the Elections? Contact Martin Cruz, Chief Returning Officer at sa.elections@rdpolytech.ca.