The Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) board of trustees put their faith in Mary Anne Penner for a second term as board chair. With the new board sworn in at the Monday, Oct.
The Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) board of trustees put their faith in Mary Anne Penner for a second term as board chair.
With the new board sworn in at the Monday, Oct. 16 meeting, LCSD trustees turned their attention to electing a chair and vice-chair to lead the group for the next four years.
Incumbent chair Penner received a nomination from trustee Collette Zahar, while trustee Vince MacDonald nominated former vice-chair Margaret Borders for the position.
Penner won the secret ballot by one vote (4-3) and reclaimed her place at the head of the LCSD board.
Before trustees made their decision, each of the nominees were given the chance to speak. Both Penner and Borders gave speeches detailing why they would be best suited at the helm of LCSD.
As the incumbent, Penner went first, laying out her vision for the district.
"When I think about what I can bring to the position of board chair, it's my experience both as trustee and as chair of the board. It's my understanding of issues at the district, provincial, and national level. We're just a small cog in a big wheel," said Penner.
She added it would be her focus for the board to stay strong in their Catholic faith, and to fight for the rights of Catholic school boards.
"I have a passion and belief in the value of Catholic education. I believe, that we at LCSD, need to offer students an education that is innovative and forward looking, while instilling Catholic values and a love of learning," Penner continued.
Borders received the nomination for board chair after spending 12 years in the position of vice-chair.
Ready to take on a larger role at the head of the board, Borders also touched on protecting Catholic education, while instilling the right amount of change to keep the district at its best.
"It takes a multi-layered approach to accomplish our goals. We are dealing with the provincial government, local parent councils, student input, oversight of administration spending, among other issues," said Borders. "Boards move forward by inviting new ideas, by inviting each member to share, and by not getting into the mindset that this type of position can only be done by certain people."
It was clear trustees were torn. Borders' heartfelt sentiments were enough to earn her three votes, but ultimately, the board went with Penner as chair.
A second ballot was necessary for the election of vice-chair, as two trustees received nominations.
Trustee Vicky Lefebvre nominated first time trustee Diane Bauer for the position, as Bauer had previously spent time with the board in an administrative capacity. MacDonald nominated Borders to continue in the position she had held for 12 years.
The race for vice-chair was also close, with Bauer winning by just one vote.
While this is her first time on the board of trustees, Bauer is expected to be able to transition seamlessly into the role of vice-chair after spending time in an administrative position with the LCSD board.
"I was extremely honoured to be nominated and selected as vice-chair. I have been a member of the board in a different capacity for several years. The majority of these board members know who I am, what I stand for, and that I am dedicated to serving the students and parents of LCSD," expressed Bauer.
Penner was equally over the moon with her re-election, which she believes further cements the trust the group has in her ability to lead the trustees. Now that the positions are set for the next term, Penner is excited for the new board to get to work.
"I think this proves that the board trusts me to carry on in the direction that we've been going, and I hope to continue to do so. Now our goals shift to continuing to provide the same level of education we always have to students in our care, but also to complete a number of different projects."
