Preston Manning is the founder and the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance which in turn merged with the Progressive Conservative Party to form today’s Conservative Party of Canada. Manning represented the federal constituency of Calgary Southwest in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 until 2002. He served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 1997 to 2000.

Upon his retirement from elected office he founded the Manning Foundation for Democratic Education and the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to strengthening Canadian democracy in accordance with conservative principles. Manning has received the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, The Order of Canada, and the Alberta Order of Excellence.