Meet your Mayor, Victor Cumming

I’ve called Vernon home since 1992, when my wife, Mary-Ann, our four children, and I moved to the North Okanagan. More than 30 years later, we have eight grandchildren now living here too.

I was born in Golden and raised primarily in Coquitlam and Naramata. When we moved to Vernon, after a number of years living and working in the Lower Mainland and abroad, I relocated a business and staff here, drawn by the affordable high quality of life in Vernon, and the excellent regional airport in Kelowna.

As a regional economist and rural development specialist, I hold a BA in Economics and Geography (Victoria), and an MA in Rural Planning and Development (Guelph). My consulting firm provided economic development, strategic planning, and operational advice to businesses and local, regional and First Nation governments. Over a 35-year professional career, I’ve worked in Africa, the South Pacific, and every province and territory in Canada except Quebec and Newfoundland.

But my connection to Vernon goes well beyond my professional life. I’ve spent many years volunteering in the community, including coaching soccer and football. I am an honorary life member of the Okanagan Landing & District Community Association, a former Board member with the Ribbons of Green Trail Society 2003-2018 (now the City Liaison), and a member of the North Okanagan Cycling Society and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club.

When I’m not at work or volunteering you can find me enjoying the Okanagan - swimming, cross-country skiing, biking, sailing, kayaking, or trail walking with Mary-Ann and our dog Cara, and often with family and friends. We also enjoy taking in live music and theatre events, and are regular users of Vernon's parks and recreational and cultural facilities.

I was first elected Mayor in the fall of 2018, and was re-elected in 2022.

Current Council Appointments include the following:

  • Advisory Planning Committee
  • Chair of the Economic Development Advisory Committee
  • Emergency Program Executive Committee
  • Greater Vernon Advisory Committee - Greater Vernon Water
  • Climate Action Advisory Committee Alternate
  • Tourism Commission
  • Regional District of North Okanagan Board of Directors
  • North Okanagan Columbia Shuswap Regional Hospital Board
  • Liaison to the O'Keefe Ranch and Historical Society
  • Liaison to the Ribbons of Green Trail Society
  • Okanagan Indian Band and City of Vernon Working Group
  • Okanagan-Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table - Mayors and Chiefs
  • Inter-Municipal Advisory Committee with Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton mayors and Chief Administration Officers

Plus, I was a Director on the Okanagan Basin Water Board from 2018-2025 and an alternate in 2026.

I’m proud to call Vernon home, and proud to serve our community.