Ken Melamed was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1954, and moved to Montreal in 1966 when he was 13. He majored in science at Dawson College (CEGEP), Quebec, graduating in 1973 before heading west, to Jasper, Alberta.

Ken arrived in Whistler in February, 1976 and fell in love with the mountains and the small community of Whistler. He started as a lift operator for Whistler Mountain and became a professional ski patroller two seasons later in 1977, a position he’s held ever since.

In 1978, Ken worked in construction in the off-season and 10 years later started his own artisian-oriented contracting business, Ken Melamed Stoneworks, creating much of the beautiful rock walls throughout the valley.

In 1989, Ken helped initiate Whistler’s grassroots, citizen environmental organization, AWARE, serving as president for six years between 1990 and 1996.  He was also a founding director of Smart Growth BC in 1999, serving for six years. He successfully ran for Council in November 1996 and served three terms as councillor before being elected mayor in 2005.

As mayor, Ken’s primary goals are to champion the implementation of Whistler’s long-term sustainability plan, Whistler 2020, which he helped to develop, and to direct Whistler’s  planning for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.  He serves on numerous boards and community committees, including Tourism Whistler, Fraser Basin Council, and American Friends of Whistler.

Married, with two sons, Ken remains an avid skier and mountain biker.