2014 Election Archive

Don has been an elected school board trustee since 2000 and represents City of Kawartha Lakes wards 1, 4, and 8. Prior to becoming a trustee, Don spend three years as a municipal councillor for Bexley …Township. don worked for 35 years on the CN Railway in the the bridges and structures engineering department before retiring in 2000. He managed the Woodville youth hockey team for two years as well. Married for 43 years, Don and his wife have had 5 children go through the school system in the area. They now have 6 grandchildren who will soon be attending the same TLDSB school. More

Frank Arnold is passionate about education and believes in parent involvement and accountability. He has always been interested in the school community and has been actively involved in education since …1993. Frank is 51 years old, married, with 3 children and has lived in the community since 2001. He volunteered for the Lady Mackenzie Public School parent council for eight years, six of which he was the chair. For the past two years, Frank has been a member and is currently the chair of the Fenelon Falls Secondary School parent council. Frank is a founding member, has been president and coach of the Kirkfield Soccer Club. As a long time business owner, Frank offers experience with team work, management, decision-making and foresight. His background ranges from constructions to financial consulting, which has included eight years of teaching in adult education. If elected, Frank will be present in every school community within City of Kawartha Lakes Wards 1, 4, and 8. More

Angela Field, the mother of four boys, has many talents. She is the owner of local business, Tradewind Toys & Gifts in downtown Lindsay. Angela has also been the chair of parent council at Leslie Frost …Public School for 3 years. She has a passion for education, the arts, and loves a good challenge. She would love to bring her in and out of the school experience to the position of public school trustee for Trillium Lakelands District School Board, representing Wards 5, 9 and 11. I believe in this community and all that it has to offer. I would like to do my part by bringing fresh ideas from a parents' point of view because I believe we all deserve a voice. More

David received his formal education at the University of Western Ontario and Memorial University of Newfoundland. Since then he has enjoyed a thirty year career that has garnered him experience in seven …schools, four school boards and two provinces. In June 2014 he retired from his position as Head of Performing Arts at I.E. Weldon S.S. Having worked at Fenelon Falls S.S., Lindsay Collegiate and I.E. Weldon S.S., David brings to the table a wealth of experience, and knowledge of both the schools in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board and the provincial education system. He is well versed in current provincial initiatives in education and already enjoys very healthy relationships with our school Board’s current trustees, senior administration, teachers and support staff. An active member of his community, David has served on his children's school council, as well as the Boards of Kawartha Lakes Community Living and the Lindsay Concert Foundation. From 1998 – 2005 he was the Director of the Lindsay Kinsmen Marching Band and currently he is co-owner/operator of the Lakelands Academy of Music and Director of the Odyssey Project community music program which he founded in 2006. As a parent of five grown children, David has an appreciation for the great work that is being done in the classrooms and administrative offices of our schools every single day. He is also keenly aware of the challenges that parents, staff and most importantly students encounter regularly within our school system. An advocate for responsible education, David is committed to contributing whatever time and energy is required to help steer our local school Board through these constantly changing and challenging times. The key to success is having open communication that allows comfortable, balanced dialogue between all stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, administrators and trustees. David looks forward to having the opportunity to help connect and support all those involved. More

Anna Sproule set her focus on caring for her community and its citizens fresh from graduating from Toronto Western Hospital's School of Nursing in 1973 by returning to Cannington where she worked as an …RN at the Bon Air Nursing Home for 13 years. Again she returned to this area after earning two degrees from the University of Windsor and served a term on the board for the Kinmount and District Medical Centre. Anna was a founding board member for what has now become the Central East Community Care Access Centre and then spent 13 years as a Case Manager coordinating care for countless citizens of this district. Between them, Anna and her husband Robert Coulter have 11 grandchildren; four of them are students in TLDSB schools. With Anna's keen interest in education, her involvement assures all those impacted by education in this area will have the best options and outcomes. Anna looks forward to continuing her life's focus on her community as your Trustee. More

In April 2009 Karen Round was appointed trustee for wards 10, 12, and 16 in the City of Kawartha Lakes for Trillium Lakelands District School Board. She was elected vice chair of the board and was then …successful in the October 2010 municipal election. Karen was acclaimed as Chair of the Board for the following three consecutive terms from December 2010 through December 2013. Karen is proud to represent TLDSB as their delegate provincially on the Ontario School Boards Association board of directors. Karen is very proud to be a part of the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. She has found that serving as the Chair and Vice Chair has been amazing experience and has opened up so many doors. This has allowed her to advocate for students, the school board, and communities on a myriad of levels. Karen feels that students, staff, parents, and communities need to be engaged in all aspects of education. She is inspired every day to bring forward my very best and represent TLDSB with strong leadership, integrity, and courage. More

Gary Brohman has been a trustee representing the County of Haliburton since the 2010 election and has served on the following school board committees: Student Success, Character Development, and Staff …Recognition. He was elected as the Past Chair for the board for 2013 and has attended several OPSBA conferences. Gary spent 38 years as a secondary school educator at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, 11 of those years as a teacher, 10 as a Vice Principal, and 17 as principal of the school. During his time at the school he coached football, hockey and track and field. Gar believes in kids first in a every decision made at the board table and that TLDSB employees work to the betterment of each individual student. Gary lives by a quote from Mother Teresa, There are no great things we do, only small things done with great love. More

I am 29 years old and have lived in Kawartha Lakes all my life. I am reliable honest and very easy to talk to. I have 4 children, 3 that are in the school system and the youngest starts next year. I volunteer …at the local public school on a regular basis. I am a stay at home mom and have a lot of extra time on my hands so I would be able to attend all school meetings. I believe that all children have the right to learn. We just need to give them the right tools to do it. I would like to bring a younger person's perspective to the table and I am very passionate about education. More

John Byrne has been a trustee, representing wards 2,3,6, and 7 in the City of Kawartha Lakes since the 2010 provincial election. He was elected Vice Chair of the board for 2014 and has participated on …the following committees - Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Student Success, and Character Development. John has attended several OPSBA conferences and feels he has personally grown from these experiences however, he finds the most rewarding part of the job is the ability to interact with students of all ages as these are the folks he really learns from. Prior to retirement John had a successful career with Bell Canada for 28 years. John is currently a licenced in-car and in-classroom driver educator and has 10 years' experience as a school bus driver. John has served as a councillor with Somerville Township and was head of the finance committee as well as serving on other council committees. More

Education has been my life. In my 34 year career as an Ontario public school educator and in my retirement years as an international educator I have repeatedly showed the ability to take difficult situations …and make them better. This skill combined with ever increasing experience and qualifications allowed me to progress from teacher to principal to Superintendent to Director of Education. I also bring 6 years of full-time international education experience in Myanmar, Egypt and Brazil. The last 4 years I have been doing short term assignments in Brazil, South Korea, Vietnam, China and Mexico developing Canadian Early Childhood and Elementary Schools. As a senior administrative I have worked directly with school board trustees on all of the possible board management and education committees. A Message from Don: When training school leaders I told them their job was to: 1. Annually improve the teaching and learning in their schools 2. Create a safe physical, emotional, social and intellectual environment 3. Be an ombudsman for all students. As your school trustee I pledge to actively support and cooperate with all efforts that: 1. Effect a measureable improvement in teaching and learning 2. Create a safe physical, emotional, social and intellectual environment for all children. 3. Place our children and youth first. (I, too, have grandchildren in our schools). My track record is one of improving all situations that were assigned to me. Community Work: Since moving to this area in 2002 I have been a community representative for the Ross Memorial Hospital, a member of the Burnt River Somerville Management Board, a current volunteer for Community Care, and I serve in various positions in my church. More

Heather Osborne is a very proud, energetic parent who has raised 9 children through the public school system, high school system, and adult education program. "I am very proud that all of them continued …into post secondary education. My professions are crisis intervention worker, personal support worker and bus driver. I have fundraised and volunteered for many organizations, and have coached both male and female sports programs. Having raised so many children, I have come to understand the trials and tribulations faced everyday by the school system, administration, principals, teachers, parents and students. I am an advocate of making learning fun in order to ensure continued learning, while giving our children great memories of what should be the best time of their lives. I am hoping my open mindedness, and creativity would assist in developing strategies for accountability and getting parent's more involved." More

Bruce Reain was elected as trustee in 2010 for the Huntsville and Lake of Bays area in Muskoka. A public school educator for 35 years, Bruce was a principal in Muskoka for 18 years. During his time as …principal Bruce hosted the Huntsville High School 100th anniversary, was a member of the Ontario Paralympics Winter Games steering committee and a regional chairperson of the Ontario Secondary School Principals Council as well as the Ontario Principals Council. He coached minor hockey, high school hockey, the HHS alpine ski team, and is a past member of the Rotary Club. Bruce is fully committed to serving the students and constituents of the Huntsville/Lake of Bays in his role as a school board trustee. Five of his six children have graduated from schools in Trillium Lakelands District School Board. Bruce and his wife currently have one grandchild attending kindergarten in Huntsville. Bruce feels that TLDSB has an exceptional reputation in the province and he takes pride in representing this area. More

I have lived in the Omemee area for over twenty-five years, since marrying my husband, Peter. We have three children who attended Lady Eaton Elementary, Scott Young Public and I.E. Weldon Secondary Schools. …While my children were attending Lady Eaton and Scott Young schools I was involved with the School Councils. Community involvement is very important to me. For approximately twenty years I have written the Omemee and Area news for the Peterborough Examiner and the Lindsay Post. I am involved with 1st Omemee Scouting and the City of Kawartha Lakes Accessibility Advisory Committee. My family and I are very involved with b.r.a.i.n.child (Brain Tumour Research, Assistance and Information Network) at SickKids, raising awareness of and funds for paediatric brain tumours. While my children were in school, I was pursuing my Masters and Doctorate in Theology through online studies. I am currently a wedding and funeral officiant as well as offering pulpit supply to area churches when required. Attaining education is a right that all citizens have and tailoring an educational experience to a student is key. I recognize the frustration that can result when a student’s individual needs are not met. Having children on both ends of the education spectrum (two of my children graduated from the International Baccalaureate Programme at I.E. Weldon while my third child was in the PALS class), I am very aware of how important coordinating programme with individual needs is and how difficult it can be to have the coordination take place. I believe that my personal experience coupled with my willingness to learn will offer a new fresh approach to constituents. More

Judy Saunders has been a school trustee for over 23 years. She has participated on many committees, was the Chair of the board for 3 years and has attended numerous Public Education symposiums and labour …relations conferences. Judy and her husband John have four children and six grandchildren. They have lived in the community for over thirty-five years. Judy has an agricultural background and is now working in the family retail business. She has served as secretary treasurer with an agricultural society for seventeen years. Judy is currently the organist and music director for her local church. Judy states that it is an exciting time to be involved in education. Many unique programs are available to ensure student success. Our focus is on the individual needs of each student as we strive to be – Better Together in a Safe and Caring Learning Community. More

Louise Clodd is currently the Chair of Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB). She was appointed as a trustee in November 2008 and acclaimed as trustee for the Gravenhurst area in the 2010 municipal …election. Louise sits on several school board committees and has experience as a parent council member and chairperson at the school and district level. Louise was elected vice chair of the school board in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and was acclaimed as Chairperson in 2013. In 2010 Louise was elected as the voting delegate and Board of Directors member for the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA). In 2009 and 2011 she was elected to represent OPSBA Central East on the policy and development committee and she was elected as the vice chair of the OPSBA Central East Region. Louise believes that her personal experiences have given her the tools to become a valuable member of the school board. She feels she is able to advocate for students and help to provide them with all they need to succeed. Louise finds it a pleasure to support trustees both in TLDSB, OPSBA Central East, and across the province. Louise and her husband Roger have been married for 26 years and have three children, all of whom are TLDSB graduates. More

Steve Binstock has been a teacher, guidance counsellor, administrative assistant, vice principal and principal with the Trillium Lakelands D.S.B. He has experience in both elementary and secondary panels. …He had the privilege of being a Visiting Educator at the O.I.S.E. where he focused on leadership and school improvement. He was a speaker and group leader at the Ontario Public School Leadership Academy at Western University for eight years. He has spoken extensively on Change, Leadership, and Curriculum Implementation. He recently retired from Nipissing University where he was an instructor in Guidance and Career Education as well as Regional Faculty Advisor in the Schulich School of Education. Steve has been associated with Nipissing University since 1981. Steve is married to Brenda who was a graduate of BMLSS and a teacher in TLDSB for twenty years. They have three grown children who attended Macaulay P.S, Monck P.S and BMLSS. Brenda’s parents also graduated from BMLSS. Steve believes that it is important for public education to embrace change, innovation and technology so that our students will be equipped to find their place in our competitive and globalized economy. Steve’s background in Guidance and Career Education has reinforced his belief that mental health must be a top priority for all students. He believes in high academic standards and that all students can achieve their potential with support and up- to- date programming and resources. More

Olivia is a mother of 2 children currently in elementary school participating in the French Immersion program. She believes that the best education occurs when the school, parents and students all work …together to achieve the best results possible. Having all of her formal education in French Immersion and graduating with a Bilingual Certificate, Olivia is passionate about ensuring that all students, in all programs have equal opportunity for success. More