Michelle Overwater Giles is a local Cochrane resident and honors and acknowledges that she is situated on Treaty 7 territory, the traditional lands of the Stoney Nakoda peoples of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley Bands, the Tsuut’ina, the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) peoples of Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai Band. She also respectfully acknowledges that she is in the homelands of the Métis Nation within Region III. 

A mother of two boys, a wife, and the daughter of an Albertan farmer. Growing up in rural Alberta taught Michelle many life lessons, including hard work, land stewardship, financial responsibility, entrepreneurship, and a deep understanding of climate and what it means to business. She studied political science at the University of Victoria and has completed a postgraduate diploma in Information and Library studies at the University of Aberystwyth, Wales, UK. She is an Avatar Ignite program graduate and a Laudato Si’ Animator.

Her first introduction to politics was through her father while fundraising for Roy Brassard, a former Olds-Didsbury MLA. She took her first step into politics through a summer internship with the UK House of Commons, under the leadership of a Labour MP who represented one of the UK's most diverse regions, containing areas of wealth and poverty.

She has over 20 years of experience working internationally as an award-winning Librarian and Senior Business Analyst with over 12 years of experience in the Alberta energy sector from the board room to the field. Michelle believes there is a new energy future and the Alberta Greens, together with the hard-working people of Alberta are best placed to build it.

Michelle is a passionate wildlife gardener and loves to ride her bicycle on the many trails around Cochrane.