At the December 7, 2021 Organization Meeting of the Board of Trustees, elections were held for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair.
Sue Barnett, Trustee for Welland, was acclaimed as Chair of the Board. This is her fourth consecutive time as Chair, and the fifth time that Barnett has held this position in the past 12 years. “I am thrilled to once again serve the Board and I am grateful to the DSBN Board of Trustees for their faith in my leadership. We have always worked as a strong team to provide optimal educational experiences for students in Niagara,” said Barnett. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, this Board has accomplished a lot in the last year, from breaking ground for our new West Niagara Secondary School which is currently being built, to hiring more social workers to support the mental health and well-being of students. Our work is not done, and we will continue to serve students and our community during the coming year.”
Alex Bradnam, Trustee for St. Catharines/Niagara-on-the-Lake was elected as Vice-Chair for the second time. Bradnam stated, “Over the last two difficult years, we as a Board, have done our best to support our leadership, staff and students to achieve during changing times. Our students and their parents/caregivers should be applauded for not only surviving these ongoing changes, but remaining strong and positive about their futures. It is our job, as a Board, to make sure our staff and students have the supports, whether they be material, physical, or mental, to emerge stronger, resilient, and determined to be able to face all that the coming years will bring. I know our students will be ready. They have proved this time after time. The best is yet to come!”
Chair Barnett and Vice-Chair Bradnam will serve the Board in their current roles through November 2022.