NEWS RELEASE
UPPER GRAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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Martha MacNeil, the trustee for Wards 1 and 5 in the City of Guelph, was elected Chair of the Upper Grand District School Board at the Inaugural meeting of the board on Dec. 3, 2019.
This is MacNeil’s first time elected as chair. She was first elected as a trustee in 2014. She has served as the Chair of the Business Operations Committee and Policy Management Committee, and has been a trustee representative on numerous committees, including the Parent Involvement Committee, Safe, Equitable and Inclusive Schools Steering Committee, and Negotiations Steering Committee.
In her address to the Board, MacNeil thanked out-going Chair Linda Busuttil for her hard work and dedication over to the past two years as Chair, serving Upper Grand students, staff and communities. MacNeil also expressed gratitude to the UGDSB’s Director of Education Martha Rogers and senior staff for their support in her growth and development as a leader over the past five years.
In her inaugural address, MacNeil spoke about several areas of focus, including maintaining and honouring the Board’s relationships with its partners in education, the elimination of the deficit budget, the new Director of Education search, and implementing motions related to the recent Trustee declaration on climate change.
“Our commitment to public engagement and building confidence in public education will continue to be strong,” said MacNeil. “We will be focused on honouring our relationships while achieving the best possible outcome for our entire educational community.”
Trustee Barbara Lustgarten Evoy, who represents the Township of Centre Wellington, was elected to serve as vice-chair.
The positions are for a one-year term ending Nov. 30, 2020.
At the inaugural meeting, trustees were also named to the board’s various committees. Trustee Lynn Topping was re-elected Program Committee Chair, with Trustee Jolly Bedi serving as vice-chair. Trustee Robin Ross will take on the role of Business Operations Committee Chair, with Trustee Gail Campbell serving as vice-chair.
Trustee Busuttil will serve as a director on the Ontario Public School Board Association’s (OPSBA) Board of Directors. The organization is routinely called on by the provincial government for input and advice on legislation, labour negotiations and the impact of government policy directions.
The final meeting of the 2018-2019 board preceded the Inaugural meeting. Trustees expressed their appreciation to the media for coverage of education issues during the past year and for their continued co-operation and help broadcasting school bus information on inclement weather days during the school year. They also expressed their appreciation to Director Rogers for her co-operation and assistance during the past year, and to all staff members for their loyalty and dedication.
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