Premier Christy Clark's former director of stakeholder and community relations will carry the B.C. Liberal banner in Vancouver-Fairview.

Gabe Garfinkel was nominated yesterday, defeating Vancouver councillor Elizabeth Ball.

“My family has called Vancouver-Fairview home for four generations, and there’s nowhere I would rather live,” Garfinkel said in a B.C. Liberal news release. “I’m running because we need an MLA who’s visible, with the energy to lead our dynamic community.”

Garfinkel left the premier's office in 2013 to work for the public relations company FleishmanHillard before opening his own communications agency in 2015.

According to the provincial lobbyist registry, Garfinkel has lobbied officials on behalf of Chevron Canada, Fortune Minerals, the B.C. Pharmacy Association, Johnson & Johnson, Hoffmann-La Roche, Port Metro Vancouver, and Multi-Materials B.C.

He's no longer listed as an active lobbyist.

Prior to joining the premier's office in 2011, Garfinkel was communications and outreach director and office manager for Liberal MP Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra).

According to the B.C. Liberals' news release, Garfinkel was also a "trusted advisor in government" to, among others, former health minister Margaret McDiarmid. She was the B.C. Liberal MLA for Vancouver-Fairview from 2009 to 2013.

Garfinkel is also a member of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs local partnership council and has done volunteer work for the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. The CIJA is often quoted in the media supporting Israel and counters efforts to promote boycotts, divestment, and sanctions targeting the country.

Vancouver-Fairview is currently represented by NDP MLA George Heyman, who's the Opposition critic for the environment, green economy, and technology.

Like Garfinkel, Heyman also defeated a sitting city councillor (Geoff Meggs) to win his party nomination in 2012.