Prior to his election to City Council, Courtney worked as a respected educator teaching at Western Canada High School. In addition to teaching, he was a basketball coach and an equity, diversity, and inclusion facilitator. He graduated from Mount Royal University with a degree in history, and the University of British Columbia with a degree in education. Courtney is a community builder and organizer, and his life has been dedicated to helping people realize their place in the world— petitioning the Calgary Board of Education to form an anti-racist task force and helping to bring together community organizations in their advocacy for funding from The City of Calgary.

Courtney believes that arts and cultural programming and events are critical to providing opportunities for people to gather and connect, improving the quality and beauty of life in Calgary.