2022 Election

Return Mardi de Kemp

Catholic Board Trustee

Experience matters

- Committed to being a responsive trustee

- From 8 candidates, appointed in March 2022 as Trustee in this zone.

…- Fourteen years as Manager of Communications at OCSB, retired in 2019

- Seven years in elected and volunteer positions at OCSB schools

- Chair of Catholic School Parent Association (CSPA) and predecessor for 6 years

- Served on statutory (OR provincially-mandated) Special Education Advisory Committee for 6 years More

I am committed to the success of our children. I am focused on making education a deep and enriching experience which looks at the whole person. This includes biological, psychological, spiritual, and …social dimensions.

My experience as an international startup founder, a masters of counselling psychology student, and an aspiring vision impaired athlete presents a unique perspective to the Ottawa Catholic School Board. I offer my gifts and talents to the board so children can share theirs with the world. More

I'm a youth worker who has worked directly in the classrooms, in a partnership role, for the past 20 years in both English school boards.

I'm running for OCSB Trustee to help lead a new direction …for a school board in crisis; underfunded to the point of failure, and the little money left is being spent with little regard to the basic and essential educational services. We need to reduce class sizes, add more support staffing with equitable pay, and improve transportation. Consequently, we need to cut the funding to the unmeasured and undemonstrated “innovations” in education. We will also need to cut the millions spent in unnecessary advertising used to compete with the other school boards for student enrolment.

In a change to the political norm I'm not accepting financial reward if elected, instead distributing the trustee salary directly back into our community and our most needy in it. I am trying to introduce a modern type of elected official, taking the unconventional approach of not buying election signs or handing out flyers; it’s antiquated, environmentally wasteful, and not a very equal or equitable way to choose a political leader. More

Represented Zone 5 for the past 10 Years (2012-present).

Served as Vice Chair of the Board

President and Vice President of theOttawa Student Transportation Authority(OSTA)

Focus: …

- Student and staff mental health

- Post pandemic recovery and academic success

- Ensuring a positive and innovative learning environment

- Responding to and supporting parents navigating the Educational System More

My name is Dr. Melissa Fraser-Arnott and I am running for Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustee for zone 6 (wards 8 and 9). I am a dedicated lifelong learner and have earned a doctoral degree (PhD), a Master …of Library and Information Science (MLIS), and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). I am also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). I am a librarian with over 15 years of experience, including roles at the Library of Parliament, Office of the Parliamentary Budget Office, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Ottawa Public Library, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and Algonquin College. I strongly believe that investing in education is one of the best things that we can do for our children, ourselves, and our communities. Ensuring that all students have an educational environment where they can thrive benefits all of us. I have served as a OCSB parent council member and community association volunteer. More

As a father of 3 children from ages 3 to 7, family and proper education of children is of utmost importance to me.

I am a carpenter of 25 years experience. Community involvement and charitable …work has always been a central part of my life. I have volunteered my time and knowledge as a carpenter to my community and church as well as abroad in South America, including building two altars and donating them. Over the past years, I have become increasingly involved in children's education including two years of parent council in Toronto, prior to moving to Ottawa.

As your school trustee, I will seek to instill good community values in children's education. I look forward to work together with you as we seek to do the best for our children. More

Experience Counts

25 years as a Catholic Trustee on the Ottawa Catholic School Board and Currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the past four consecutive years (2018 – 2022 & 2011-13). …Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees (2008 - 2011)

Serves on many OCSB committees and Mark is a Strong Avocate for the proper full funding for our Special Education Programs – member of the Special Education Advisory Committee for over 20 years, Committed outspoken advocate to safeguard full publicly funded Catholic education in Ontario.

Director on the Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa (CEFO), an organization dedicated to eliminating poverty's devastating effect on Ottawa Catholic School Board students and families.

As your Trustee, OCSB Chair and a Director on the Ontario Catholic Trustees Association and the Canadian Catholic Trustees Association, Mark is continuously lobbying the government to increase Capital and Operations funding for the OCSB.

Committed To:

Priority - Mental health support & wellbeing programs and pandemic recovery for all students and staff

Providing safe & healthy learning conditions for staff & students and the upgrading of school facilities

Fiscally responsible – 25 years of Balanced Budgets

Providing leadership, faith, experience, knowledge, accessibility and commitment

Mark believes faith is a critical part of a well-rounded education. Catholic Schools must continue to promote faith development, innovation, academic excellence and student & staff well-being. “As a Catholic School System, we must engage our students' spiritual imagination and give them opportunities to develop and grow.”

Please Visit my website at markmullan.ca for further details. More

My name is Guillermo Fernandez, and I am a cradle Catholic running for Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustee in Zone 9, Ward 16 -Ottawa River, and Ward 17- Ottawa Capital. I was born and raised in the Philippines …and migrated to Canada in 2001

I attended Catholic schools throughout my student life in the Philippines. My elementary and high School years were spent at Notre Dame of Greater Manila. This school was founded by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. I was given formation by an education system that adhered to the “Love of God and country, loyalty to the Catholic faith, spirit of sacrifice, service to others especially to the poor of Christ, and steadfast love to the Blessed Virgin Mary". After graduating, I pursued my degree from De La Salle University – Manila Philippines, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce majoring in Business Management. Here In Canada, I graduated from Willis College's Cyber Security Program. I have worked in the health, financial, and transportation industries.

I have a loving spouse to whom I have been married for 26 years. I am also a father of two young adults who attended Catholic schools here in Ottawa.

I am a parishioner and volunteer at St. Elizabeth Parish. I consider this parish as my home.

I look forward to collaborating harmoniously with all stakeholders to help our students lead a successful, purpose-driven life that is Christ-centered. More

Current trustee for Zone 9

I am Jenny Rivera, your candidate for OCSB Trustee for zone 9, Wards 16 and 17. I am very thrilled and honored to be running for the 2022 elections and be the voice and representative of the River and …Capital community. I am running for the OCSB Trustee position because I am passionate about catholic education and it is my belief that our students, families and community as a whole, deserve a world class school system which is rooted in moral and religious principles.

I am dedicated to building a community that positively impacts how our kids grow up. I value cooperation, the opportunity to succeed for all our children, open communication between the schools, parents, students and the community, but most of all I value trust and integrity.

As a community worker and mentor I have made a difference and want the opportunity to continue my work as an advocate for education and to make a difference in our catholic school district. We are in the 21st Century and our educational system has to move forward to reflect the new changes. I want to ensure that all catholic students in Ottawa get the support, resources, guidance and care that they need to be outstanding catholic members of society and ready for the world of tomorrow. More

Cameron Bonesso is a 22-year-old university student and the president of Ottawa-based consulting firm Constituent Manager Solutions. He is running to be the next Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) Trustee …for Zone 10. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been clear that many students have faced disruptions and difficulties with their own learning experience. Cameron knows first-hand how the pandemic has impacted the mental health of young people which is why his top priority as a candidate is advocating for increased funding for board-wide mental health programs for not only students, but staff as well. More

Masters in Educational Administration

United Way Community Builder of the Year Award “Growing Up Great” 2015

Over 40 years in Education - teacher, principal, executive director of high school …for pregnant and parenting youth/child and youth mental health centre

Served on many board committees including:

- Director, Catholic Child Care Corporation

- Director, Ottawa Transportation Authority

- Special Education Advisory Committee

- Director of Education Performance Appraisal

- Trustee Support Services

- Chair, Student Suspension and Expulsion Committee

- Canadian and Ontario Catholic Trustees’ Association

Priorities:

- Post Pandemic recovery - academic and mental health support

- Parent and Student engagement

- Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

- Represent parent and student voices at the board table/ help parents, students navigate the education system, help solve challenges to accessing the curriculum

To learn more about Cindy please visit: www.vote4cindy.ca More