Board of
Trustees
The Waterloo Region District School Board’s (WRDSB) eleven-person elected board of trustees is responsible for approving the policies and bylaws governing the Board’s operations. The board of trustees also ensures that the quality of education in Waterloo Region is maintained, and the educational goals and needs of all students are met.
It is my privilege and honour to serve as the Chairperson on the Waterloo Region District School Board. I am the mother of a current WRDSB student and two recent graduates. I have lived, worked and volunteered in Waterloo Region for 25 years: currently residing in Kitchener and working in the post-secondary education sector. Prior to being elected as a Trustee, I was a long-serving WRDSB volunteer where I advocated for programs that support student achievement and wellbeing, equity, and parent engagement. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees, families, staff and the community to help our students reach their full potential.
I am honoured to be elected for a sixth term as Trustee for Waterloo/Wilmot. During my years on the Board, I have actively participated as a member of a variety of standing, statutory and ad hoc committees including strategic planning, audit, agenda development, superintendent selection, school year calendar and Director’s performance review. I have served as WRDSB chair, vice-chair and past chair. I am currently serving a two-year term as First Vice-President of the Ontario Public School Boards Association.
As an advocate for public education, I put students first to ensure that schools provide a safe, inclusive learning environment so all students achieve success. As the WRDSB continues to implement the strategic plan, I engage with stakeholders on issues that impact our students and school communities. I believe in a strong public education system that is the cornerstone of democracy. I have experienced an excellent public education system, starting in a one-room schoolhouse many years ago. My children have also experienced and benefited from a public education. It is exciting to watch my grandchildren as they experience their public education. As a trustee, having the opportunity to be involved in the ongoing success of kids in Waterloo Region and to celebrate their achievements in school and in life allows me to give back to my community.
I have lived in Waterloo Region since 1975, the last 30+ years in Westvale. I am a graduate of WLU (MSW 2003 (Retired), BA 1978). I am retired from the Community Services Department with the City of Kitchener. I am an associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 113, Dresden, an avid gardener, an ‘enthusiastic’ golfer, and a proud mother and grandmother.
It is a privilege and honour to be elected as School Trustee for Cambridge and North Dumfries. Offering my time and skills to help ensure our children receive the best education possible is the best investment I can make in my community. Cambridge is where I was born and raised, where I went to school, and where our children went to school. Professionally and over the course of a few decades, I have worked in various aspects of the transportation industry and volunteered within our community.
A good education is essential, contributing to personal success and mental well-being. As an alternative to college and university, trades offer students well-paying, meaningful careers and I will support and promote opportunities in our schools that bring back skilled trades as a solid career path. In schools and within our communities, I will prioritize safety for all students to ensure that we have a safe learning environment. Our ability to communicate is critical to keeping us connected, understanding one another, and respecting differences among us.
Our youth are our future leaders and their success depends on what is taught, and as your trustee, I will focus on our most important asset – our children’s education. I hope to bring another perspective to the board and will serve with understanding, integrity and hard work.
It is truly an honour to serve Cambridge & North Dumfries as a Trustee. The WRDSB was my employer for my career as a middle school teacher. I have seen firsthand how vital our public education system is to our whole community. I look forward to championing all the creative and genius things happening in our schools. In spite of the many challenges these last few years, teachers and education workers continue to bring compassion and creativity to their classrooms every day. Our schools embrace every student that walks through our doors and nurtures the intelligence and growth of each individual. I will listen closely to our community and advocate for the needs and concerns. Together, we have the crucial job of preparing our students to be astute leaders for the future and I am very proud to be a partner in this great work.
I am a lifelong resident of Waterloo region and have lived in the municipality of Woolwich/Wellesley for the past seventeen years. My spouse Terry and I are the proud parents of two (now grown) children who have expanded our family with the inclusion of their wonderful partners and five marvelous grandchildren.
I have retired from a fulfilling career as an educator for WRDSB in the local secondary school where I worked in both the English and Special Education departments, and while I am no longer in the classroom, I still find myself intensely interested in the ever-changing developments related to creating an effective education system. Three areas that I would like to see prioritized are:
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Inclusive, accessible, safe classrooms, schools, and communities for all students.
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Connecting and collaborating with parents, guardians, and the spectrum of individuals and community groups who have a vested interest in developing an effective educational experience for all students.
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Affirming staff and related educational workers, recognizing their expertise in the classroom and their generous contributions to extra curricular activities.
When I’m not fulfilling my duties as trustee for Woolwich/Wellesley, you can find me reading, writing, or riding my bicycle on the scenic gravel roads throughout this region.
In October 2018, I was honoured to have been chosen by the voters of Waterloo and Wilmot Township to represent them on the Waterloo Region District School Board. In October 2022, I was re-elected to a second term. My tenure as a Trustee has included serving as Vice-Chair for 2020/2021 and Chairperson of the Board for 2021/2022.
I currently serve on the following committees:
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Agenda Development
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Director’s Performance Appraisal
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Audit
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Past Director’s Bursary
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Trustee Self-Evaluation
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Discipline
Previously, I have served on the Policy Working Group, School Resource Officer Review Ad Hoc Committee, the Suspension Review Ad Hoc Committee (as Co-Chair), the Trustee Code of Conduct Review Committee, the French Immersion Review Committee, and the Waterloo Education Foundation Inc. Board of Directors. I also sit as the WRDSB’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, and previously served on OPSBA’s Policy Development Work Team.
I’m a proud graduate of both Eastwood Collegiate and Wilfrid Laurier University, and the proud parent/step-parent of four KCI graduates.
In my professional life, I work for a national non-governmental organization that promotes the growth and sustainability of affordable housing communities across Canada. I have also served as the Vice-President of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and as a volunteer facilitator with the Co-operative Young Leaders program.
I’m looking forward to representing the interests of parents, staff and students as a trustee. I worked as a teacher and principal with the WRDSB. My two children graduated from Bluevale C.I. where I served on the School Council. On retirement I continued my involvement in education as a Field Supervisor in the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier.
Waterloo Region has been my home since immigrating from Jamaica in 1987. Over the years I have been continuously involved in the community, volunteering with many organizations including Waterloo Minor Soccer, K-W YWCA, the Child Witness Centre and Mennonite Central Committee as well as the Region and cities of Waterloo & Kitchener. My commitment to all students is to create a positive learning environment; to value you for who you are; to nurture your uniqueness and work to ensure that you achieve successful outcomes. My commitment to parents is to listen and work to give your child the resources and conditions to optimize learning. My commitment to school staff is to value your contributions and hard work while working to build/support partnerships that give you the support you need.
I will work with staff and parents to facilitate respectful and open communication. Each school is its own community and the best support for its students lies in that relationship.
I have served as a Trustee since 1989, not because of what I could gain but for what I could give. Having served the Canadian public for over 35 years as a soldier, police officer, public servant, trustee and a community volunteer, I have gained a variety of valuable knowledge and experience that I believe helps me to make sound decisions as a trustee. My story is not uncommon. I immigrated to Canada in my early teens and soon found myself living on my own while trying to get an education and make something of myself. The dedicated staff of Kitchener Collegiate Institute invested in me and this helped form the foundation for my successes in life. They put my interests ahead of their own and taught me that it was my responsibility to pay it forward. That’s why I serve you as a trustee. While I always aim to strike a balance that meets everyone’s needs, student and public interest are my priority governing all of my decisions as a trustee. The decisions made by trustees today can affect an entire generation; they need to be the right decisions for the right reasons.
I am so honoured to have been elected to represent Waterloo/Wilmot as a School Board Trustee. I am a retired high school teacher who had the pleasure of working at KCI for over 30 years. A lifelong resident of this region, I attended Winston Churchill, MacGregor, WCI, and KCI, and I watched my three children excel in our system as well. My educational background is in philosophy, psychology, religious studies, and visual arts, and I’m once again a student at Laurier because I love learning!
As a teacher, on top of lesson development, presentation, and assessment, I organized board-wide conferences on gender equity and on race relations, ran a film festival for student films across public and separate boards, and focused on several environmental efforts like the OneEarth club, Envirothon and EcoSchools competitions, and a yearly Earthfest music festival. I want to continue helping students to have a positive educational experience in our schools.
I look forward to working with parents, students, educational staff, and the community to advocate for issues of concern as we manage so many changes in our world together.
I’m so excited to be working with families, staff, students, and the larger community to continue ensuring WRDSB schools are places where all our students thrive! My family and I immigrated to Waterloo Region in 2009 from Pakistan and I’ve grown up in our region’s schools since. I’m a graduate of A. R. Kaufman, Forest Hill Elementary, Queensmount, and Cameron Heights.
I’ve worked with local and national organizations to address gaps in learning and resource access needs. I’ve also served on the board of a newspaper and a sexual violence support centre prior to joining the WRDSB. I have worked on mental health awareness and leadership skill-building in youth for almost a decade. My goal as a trustee is to show up authentically at the board table, provide transparency, and build bridges of understanding within our WRDSB community.
I’m currently a university student and was able to attend post-secondary school thanks to the support of this community. I’m committed to supporting you as you navigate the WRDSB, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Each and every student is valued, belongs and their academic achievement and well-being should be our primary focus according to the Education Act. Success is demonstrated by students who achieve their full potential, students with disabilities are given the best support, parents are treated as valued partners, staff has been given adequate resources and feels supported and all voices are valued and included in the decision-making process.
Students need strong literacy and numeracy skills; mental health supports and gaps in education need to be addressed. Students with disabilities need early intervention and resources that help them succeed.
All student, parent/guardian, staff and community members deserve to be included in the decision-making process with two-way communication that is open, transparent and accountable. I believe boards make better policy when students, parents/guardians, staff and community voices are valued and included.
Boards that embrace diversity of opinion and a culture of freedom generate new and creative ideas and solutions. Freedom that allows the sharing of different ideas and opinions in a respectful manner create a culture that acknowledges and understands that “everyone” plays a part and no contribution is insignificant.