Mayor & Council Biographies

Mayor Tom Zeleznik

Acclaimed Mayor 2026
Acclaimed Mayor 2022
Elected Mayor 2018
Acclaimed Councillor 2014
First elected to Council 2011

Committee Activities include:

• Municipal Director, Regional District Central Kootenay (RDCK)
  • RDCK Joint Resource Recovery Committee
  • RDCK West Resource Recovery Committee
  • West Transit Services Committee
  • RDCK All Recreation Committee
  • West Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital District

Presently, Tom volunteers with the Nakusp Volunteer Fire Department, Road Rescue, and Search & Rescue and is President of the Society for Nakusp Community Events. Previously, he volunteered with minor hockey, baseball, and soccer, serving in various capacities such as coach, referee, and board member while raising his four children in these sports, along with many other activities.

Tom was born and raised in Nakusp on a small farm where he, his wife, and family still reside.  He has been operating as a business owner/supervisor since 1992 in the private sector, along with 50 years of experience in forestry, sawmilling, farming, construction, and consulting.

His focus is to bring new ideas to the community and find effective ways to create a more economically resilient community. One way is to focus on our assets and strengths, emphasizing what the community does have that will continually improve our community’s life and sustainability.

Councillor Cameron Leitch.

Cameron and his wife were both born in Nakusp, and they raised their three children here. They consider Nakusp to be like a large family and feel fortunate to be long-time members. He has a deep connection with this community and has an intrinsic understanding of its history, values, issues and needs. Cameron has always been inspired by the down to earth, community minded people.

"When I grew up, and I think about City Council, I look at the men and women then - these were people who just wanted to be a part of the community and give something back." 
Brad Wenstrup.

Being on council is his opportunity to give back in a positive way to Nakusp, in appreciation for the foundation that it offers local families. Cameron believes that governance must balance the things we hold dear - the rural beauty and the quality of life and family - with the need for sustainable economic growth.

Cameron graduated from Selkirk College and UBC in the Faculty of Forestry. Throughout his career as a forest professional, he worked in leadership roles with government and industry on the coast (Port McNeill and Victoria) and in the interior (Invermere, Parson and Nakusp).

Locally, he has been involved with coaching our youth: - soccer, baseball, hockey, curling and golf. He previously served as School Trustee, Village Councillor, and NACFOR Director. He is currently Scholarship Society Vice Chair 

Cameron is currently semi-retired and operates a small forestry consulting company. In his free time, he likes to stay active coaching, playing sports and pursuing outdoor activities. Most days, you can find Cam downtown chatting with friends and strangers. He is always available for an intriguing conversation about this hidden gem and its potential. He is looking forward to working with all of you.

Councillor Joseph Hughes

Nakusp has been my home since I was a child.  I met my wife here and we have welcomed and chosen to raise our three children in this valley.  We have traveled to 13 countries and continue to seek adventure in the forests around home.  We have also raised almost every farm animal and continue to produce food on our land.

I hold a diploma in Marketing Management and am a Red Seal Carpenter.  I started my construction company in 2012 and have since become a licenced residential home builder.  So, I am quite literally a community builder having worked on many homes and commercial spaces in the area.  This ground level experience brings a functional perspective to council of the implications/impacts of policy and economic investment strategies.

I am very passionate about Nakusp and have always been involved in any way I can contribute.  I have had the honour of representing the constituents of Nakusp for over 10 years and three terms as well as 4 years as our RDCK representative.  Other work includes many years on the Youth Society, Columbia River Treaty Local Governments’ committee, and Recreation Commission, to name a few.

I have great respect for representative governance.  I hope that my time on council will bring diverse voices to the debates, an experienced reflection of our opportunities and challenges.  We have a dynamic community, and I am really looking forward to where we are headed.

Councillor Aidan McLaren-Caux

Aidan has lived in Nakusp since 2010, after having grown up mainly in Ontario and having lived in several provinces throughout his youth.  An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hiking, paddling, backcountry camping, hunting, downhill and cross-country skiing, and travelling throughout the province and country. There have been a few different chapters in Aidan’s professional career, including 15 years in hospitality management with a designation as a certified sommelier with distinction, owning a small fine woodworking business, licensed property management, and economic development and consulting work with local non-profits.

He is raising his twin daughters in Nakusp, currently in the fifth grade, and could not think of a better place to do it.  Aidan has been active in several aspects of village life during his time in Nakusp, including chairing the Nakusp Child Care Society for three years, chairing the Nakusp and Area Community Trails Society, being a director for both the Nakusp and Area Development Board and the Nakusp and District Chamber of Commerce; five years on the Parent Advisory Council for the Nakusp Elementary School; four years as secretary on the board of directors for the Nakusp and Area Community Forest as well as liaison to village council and three years chairing the board meetings and several committees; two years as the chair of the Investment Ready Nakusp Committee; a director on the board of the Summit Lake Ski & Snowboard Area; the founding president of the West Kootenay Boundary Community Investment Co-op; and, the president of and a certified coach for the Summit Lake Racers Nancy Greene ski program. 

In his free time, Aidan enjoys running with his dog, Thuya, a rescue German Shepherd/Husky cross, tending to his brood of urban chickens, building furniture and carving canoe paddles, learning other languages (French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese so far), practicing and performing guitar and vocals, and spending quality time with his family and friends.
Politics and governance have always been a passion of his, growing up around and even working on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as a young man.  This is Aidan’s second term on Nakusp Village Council, and he is excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for this community and how he can continue to positively impact the lives of the residents of Nakusp.