{{Short description|Canadian politician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Joe Ceci | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA|MLAAB|size=100%}} | image = Joe Ceci 2015.jpg | office1 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | constituency1 = Calgary-Buffalo | predecessor1 = Kathleen Ganley | term_start1 = April 16, 2019 | term_end1 = | successor1 = | office = Minister of Finance of Alberta<br />President of the Treasury Board | term_start = May 24, 2015 | term_end = April 30, 2019 | predecessor = Robin Campbell | successor = Travis Toews | constituency3 = Calgary-Fort | predecessor3 = Wayne Cao | term_start3 = May 5, 2015 | term_end3 = April 16, 2019 | successor3 = district abolished | office4 = Alderman for Calgary Ward 9 | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | term_start4 = 1995 | term_end4 = 2010 | caption = Ceci in May 2015 | birth_name = Joseph Anthony Ceci | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|7|30}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | party = New Democratic | portfolio = Minister of Finance & President of the Alberta Treasury Board | spouse = Christine | occupation = Social Worker | alma_mater = University of Western Ontario<br />University of Calgary }}
'''Joseph Anthony Ceci''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|ECA|MLAAB}} (born July 30, 1957) is a Canadian, Albertan, politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Buffalo in the 30th Alberta Legislature. He was previously elected in 2015 to represent Calgary-Fort in the 29th Legislature. He is a member of the Alberta New Democratic Party. Prior to holding provincial office, Ceci served as an alderman on the Calgary City Council, representing Ward 9 from 1995 to 2010.<ref name="metro"/>
==Background== Ceci was born in 1957 in Toronto, where he lived until 1976,<ref>http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Documents/Corporate-records/Archives/Historical-information/gallery/Aldermanic_Galleries.xml. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529223248/http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Documents/Corporate-records/Archives/Historical-information/gallery/Aldermanic_Galleries.xml |date=2015-05-29 }}</ref> following graduation from local high school Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute. He received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1980.<ref name=Bio>[https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=12&leg=29 Biography: Honourable Joe Ceci (NDP)] ''Legislative Assembly of Alberta''</ref> Later that year, he moved to Calgary, where he worked as a social worker. During this time, he attended the University of Calgary, where he received a master's degree in social work in 1989.<ref name=Bio/>
== Calgary alderman == He previously served on Calgary City Council as the alderman for Ward 9 from 1995 to 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/riding-calgary-fort|title=Calgary-Fort riding: Abdulbaki, Ceci, Goosen, Mangat and Nguyen – Calgary Herald|author=Trevor Howell, Calgary Herald More Trevor Howell, Calgary Herald|work=Calgary Herald}}</ref><ref name=herald1>{{cite news | url = http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=adf5a0b8-b527-42ac-98c2-fe800d123ab2 | title = Koenig expected to challenge Ceci in Ward 9 | work = Calgary Herald | publisher = CanWest Global Communications | date = 2007-09-11 | access-date = 2007-09-15 }}</ref> In his 2004–2007 term he was a founding member community safety councils in Inglewood-Ramsay and Forest Lawn.<ref name=herald1 />
Ceci was challenged in the 2007 election by Al Koenig, president of the Calgary Police Association, who had criticized city council for not being "...as assertive on crime as we’d like to see"; Ceci defeated him by a wide margin.<ref>{{cite news | first = Shawn | last = Logan | title = CPA prez throws his hat into the ring | work = Calgary Sun | publisher = Sun Media Corporation | date = 2007-09-11 }}</ref> He retired from City Council in 2010, choosing to not run for re-election after 15 years on the Council.<ref name="metro">{{cite web|url=http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/47065/ceci-to-retire-from-council/|title=Ceci to retire from council|work=Metro|access-date=2015-05-24|archive-date=2016-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420092723/http://www.metronews.ca/news/calgary/2010/04/09/ceci-to-retire-from-council.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Provincial career ==
Touted as a star candidate, Ceci ran for the Alberta New Democratic Party in the 2015 Alberta general election for the electoral district of Calgary-Fort, hoping to become the first NDP MLA elected in Calgary since 1993, when Bob Hawkesworth was defeated in the riding of Calgary Mountain View.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/former-alderman-joe-ceci-to-run-for-ndp-in-calgary-fort|title=Former alderman Joe Ceci to run for NDP in Calgary-Fort|author=James Wood, Calgary Herald More James Wood, Calgary Herald|work=Calgary Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/elections/alberta-votes/ndp-looks-to-joe-ceci-for-breakthrough-in-calgary-1.3027305|title=NDP looks to Joe Ceci for breakthrough in Calgary|date=10 April 2015|work=cbc.ca}}</ref> He won the riding with a majority of over 3000 votes and 49.8% of the popular vote; Progressive Conservative candidate Andy Nguyen finished second in the popular vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/Winners+losers+Some+night+biggest+moments/11031972/story.html|title=Winners and losers: Some of the night's biggest moments|work=www.edmontonjournal.com}}</ref> On May 24, 2015, he was sworn in as Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board in the Alberta Cabinet.<ref>"[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-sworn-in-as-alberta-premier-reveals-cabinet-1.3085645 Rachel Notley sworn in as Alberta premier, reveals cabinet]," ''CBC News'' May 24, 2015.</ref> Ceci was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election, however the NDP lost government and therefore Ceci lost his cabinet position. As of June 21, 2024, he serves as the Official Opposition critic for Arts and Culture and also chairs the Official Opposition caucus.
==Electoral history== ===2023 general election=== {{2023 Alberta general election/Calgary-Buffalo}}
===2019 general election=== {{2019 Alberta general election/Calgary-Buffalo}}
===2015 general election=== {{2015 Alberta general election/Calgary-Fort}} {{Commons}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.joececi.ca/ Official site of Joe Ceci]
{{Alberta MLAs}} {{Notley Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceci, Joe}} Category:1957 births Category:Alberta New Democratic Party MLAs Category:Calgary city councillors Category:Living people Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta Category:Politicians from Toronto Category:Ministers of finance of Alberta Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta