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CROSS EXAMINED On hiatus Securities lawyer Chima Nkemdirim is taking a time out from law to serve as the Calgary mayor's chief of staff. BY JEFF MACKINNON BY JEFF MACKINNON to deflect blame for the strangeness that greets the eyes there, it is done politely. "That one over there by the desk I'm not so sure about," he adds, pointing across the room. "It's kind of creepy." The office belongs to the mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, who C Chima Nkemdirim has known Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi since first-year university. gives Nkemdirim a lot of credit for his startling victory in the 2010 municipal election. Nkemdirim headed a groundbreaking campaign that was the first of its kind in Canada to use social media to mobilize potential voters. Nenshi's election shook the Canadian political scene on two levels: he was the first Muslim chosen to lead a city in North America and, at 38, was considered a young political outsider. "[Nkemdirim] is a brilliant political strategist. He ran the whole thing," says Nenshi, Nkemdirim's friend since both were first-year students at the University of Calgary in 1989. Nkemdirim left a thriv- ing career after 13 years as a securities lawyer at one of Canada's top firms, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, to become the mayor's chief of staff. He also gave up a side-job teaching at the University of Calgary's law school. "It was one of those decisions where you think 'when else do you get the opportunity to work at city hall?' It was impossible to turn down," he says with a shrug. "So, my law career is on hiatus. I suspect I will one day return to practice when this is done." The underlying theme of the 2010 Calgary election result is that, unless Nenshi and his gang of interlopers completely mess up the city, it will likely lead them to a higher level of government, or, at the very least, keep them in the art-lined office for another term. Nkemdirim may be coaxed into striking out on his own one day. An informal poll conducted in the spring by respected Calgary blog- ger Dave Kelly placed Nkemdirim near the top of a list of preferred replacements for outgoing Conservative premier Ed Stelmach. "If he were to run, I'm confident he'd make a big splash with broad based support from all areas of the political spectrum," Kelly writes at djkelly.ca. Nkemdirim, however, remains committed to a party that he helped pull out of a dormant state two years ago. He served as presi- dent of the Alberta Party, which was founded in the 1950s, for sev- eral months in 2010 before resigning to join Nenshi at city hall. He remains on the board of directors of the party that has grown from 24 A U GUST 2011 www. CANADIAN Lawyermag.com hima Nkemdirim is a big fan of the arts. But he didn't choose the art that decorates his friend's office. "This one here is kind of neat," he says, motioning behind him as he takes a seat to have his photo taken. "We call it The Giant Lego Thing." If the statement is intended nick devlin