I have volunteered in a variety of positions in the educational sector for many years. This began when I was an active participant on parent – teacher councils when my daughters were in public and secondary school in Sudbury about 30 years ago. More recently, this summer marks the end of 12 years as a governor on the Cambrian College Board of Governors, on which I fulfilled a variety of roles including governor, Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, and a term as Chair of the Board. The college had an annual budget of over $60 million and part of my role while the chair was negotiating with the then Minister and Ministry of Trades, Colleges and Universities.
I was also a director with the Sudbury Credit Union for 10 years until my wife and I moved to Parry Sound in 2014. During my time on the board of directors, I was Chair of the Audit Committee for several years, the credit union has assets of over $400 million.
I was also a FedNor Director, during which time I interacted with all levels of government, community and business leaders, to study and approve funding requests from various private industry initiatives in Northern Ontario, which included Parry Sound district. Lastly, I have been a Human Rights Commissioner, during which time I gained significant experience in human rights legislation.
As you can see, through my positions, I have significant experience working with all levels of government and a strong financial background. I believe this experience positions me well as a Trustee on the Near North School Board to work with parents, teachers, politicians and the Ministry of Education in the best interest of our children’s education and to lobby to meet our local needs. I believe our children should be provided with healthy, age appropriate education that recognizes diversity and prepares them for our rapidly evolving digital world and the risks that are involved.
If you have any questions or would like to talk to me about education in the Parry Sound district, please feel free to contact me.
