For the first time in 10 years, the Rainbow District School Board will have a new chair.
At the board’s Dec. 6 organizational meeting, trustee Doreen Dewar, who has been the board’s chair multiple times, including for the past consecutive 10 years, did not put her name forward for the chair’s position, nor was she nominated.
She instead nominated trustee Dena Morrison as chair. However, Morrison did not let her name stand for the chair’s position.
Trustee Bob Clement had put his own name forward for the chair’s position, and was acclaimed as Rainbow board’s chair for the next year.
There was also a shake-up when it came to the vice-chair position.
Dewar also nominated Morrison for vice-chair (Morrison has served as vice-chair this past year, serving numerous years in this role, as well as having served as chair in the past). Trustee Judy Kosmerly also nominated First Nations trustee Linda Debassige for vice-chair.
Both trustees allowed their names to stand, and Debassige was elected as vice-chair.
Rainbow board director of education Bruce Bourget (who himself is new to the job, taking over earlier this year from retiring director of education Norm Blaseg) paid tribute to Dewar upon her departure as chair.
He said she’s the longest-serving trustee on the board, having been a trustee for 33 years, including nine with the former Sudbury Board of Education.
“Doreen Dewar has cultivated a leadership style that is respectful and inclusive, allowing voices to be heard and collective decisions to stand,” Bourget said.
“She has been an articulate spokesperson for the board, whose political acuity and astuteness has grown sharper with time.”
Dewar has led the board through some controversial decisions, including school closures.
The board has also made the news over the past decade for the treatment of those critical of some of its decisions, including former trustee Larry Killens, as well now-trustee Anita Gibson (she and husband Dylan were banned from school board property for years).
Dewar congratulated Clement for becoming chair, adding that she’s not leaving, and will be around to help out in any way she can.
“Albert Einstein, when asked to explain relativity, said ‘Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it will seem like an hour. Sit with someone you like or love for an hour, and it will seem like a minute. That’s relativity,” said Dewar.
“Over the past years, one or other of these situations applies to my tenure as chair of the Rainbow District School Board. If I have had any degree of success, it has been thanks to the constant support and dedicated efforts of Rainbow District School Board staff and colleagues.”
The board’s new chair, Bob Clement, said everyone is “exhausted” due to the pandemic, and he hopes to help everyone through it.
Regarding sitting on the board, Clement said "it’s like a family, you know. We don’t always like each other, but we do respect each other and respect each other’s opinions.”
Rainbow board’s new vice-chair, Linda Debassige, said she’s the first Indigenous person and first minority person to sit in the role.
“I think that’s important and valuable in terms of the direction that Rainbow District School Board is going,” she said. “I value that and I treat that with full respect and honesty and love.”
She also said she thinks the board has done an “amazing job navigating the pandemic, supporting our staff, and especially our students, ensuring that they remain safe.”
New leadership all around
The three other local school boards also recently elected their leadership.
Sudbury Catholic District School Board also held its organizational meeting Dec. 6, with Michael Bellmore returning as chair and Ray Desjardins returning as vice-chair. Both men were acclaimed to their positions.
Both Bellmore and Desjardins have served in their roles for six years. They were first acclaimed in 2015.
Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon held its organizational meeting Dec. 3.
Suzanne Salituri was elected president for the 2021-2022 school year, and Louise Essiembre was elected to serve as vice-president for the same term. Salituri replaces André Bidal as president of the board.
“I take great pride in being selected to represent the CSC Nouvelon,” said Salituri, who was the board’s vice-president last year, in a press release.
“Our vision statement, Thriving French-language Catholic students, proud and ready to take their place in society (Des élèves épanouis fiers d’être catholiques et francophones, prêts à prendre leur place dans la société), clearly expresses our mandate and reminds us of the added value provided by a French-language Catholic education.
“With the support of a great team of trustees, I am committed to pursuing the outstanding work accomplished to ensure a high quality of education for students in all CSC Nouvelon schools.”
“These two leaders have been devoted school trustees for several years now,” said Paul Henry, director of education and secretary-treasurer of CSC Nouvelon.
“Their exceptional leadership abilities and passion for French-language Catholic education will serve them well as they lead our board. They will be steadfast in representing the interests of our Catholic supporters at the local, provincial and national levels.”
At Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario, Anne-Marie Gélineault was re-elected as board chairperson and Francine Vaillancourt as board vice-chairperson.
A press release said Gélineault has been board chairperson since 2020.
“Gélineault is delighted to be able to continue to work with enthusiastic trustees who are dedicated to providing all students with a learning experience that is second to none,” said the press release.
Vaillancourt has been a trustee with CSPGNO since 2018, and has been board vice-chairperson since 2020.
“Ms. Vaillancourt is very happy to pursue her work in the board’s priority areas to ensure that all students experience a learning environment that is welcoming, innovative and open to the world,” said the press release.
