BARRHEAD – Pembina Hills trustees Judy Lefebvre and Sherry Allen will serve as board chair and vice chair respectively for the 2023-2024 school year.
Both trustees were elected to their roles at the Aug. 30 organizational meeting. Lefebvre got in by acclamation, while Allen was elected following a secret ballot over fellow trustee Maureen Schnirer.
This is Lefebvre’s third year as board chair. In an e-mail, Lefebvre said the board will be focusing on division priorities this year and monitoring activity in each area.
“We will endeavour to enhance a positive relationship with our school communities and all communities within our borders. We will continue to be accessible and transparent to our public,” she said.
Lefebvre added that the board’s active participation in provincial organizations will enable them to stay current on issues or concerns that might be shared with other divisions.
This is also Allen’s second year as vice chair, as she was previously elected to the position in 2022 via a secret ballot.
Incidentally, Lefebvre represents Pembina Hills West — Ward 3, while Allen represents Pembina Hills East — Ward 2.
During the remainder of the meeting, trustees also reviewed the division’s conflict of interest policy before appointing members to the various provincial, community and internal committees that trustees sit on.
For instance, Melissa Hanna was chosen as the division’s representative with the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA), though alternate Victoria Kane also indicated she would pursue a position with the organization’s board of directors.
They also passed a motion approving the 2023-2024 board workplan, a document outlining what trustees will be working on and discussing over the course of the school year.
As an example, the board typically receives the division’s enrolment report in October, while the transportation fees for the coming year will be negotiated in February.
