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The most important part of my job is communicating with parents, staff, and community. I do this on a regular basis through emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings to talk, listen, answer questions, and deal with concerns. I am very proud to be the link that helps my community get the answers they need while following the processes of the Division.

I have been part of many accomplishments throughout my career. Here are a few that I am very proud to have been part of over the last 4 years: Communication Plan – reviewing and developing strategies to enhance both internal and external communications to increase community engagement. A few examples of this are:
– The Board’s community newsletter, “The Torch”. This keeps you informed about what we are doing, along with our accomplishments and the challenges we face in education.
– A budget process that allows community access to ask questions and learn about our budget and identify changes.
– Establishment of a new committee PCEF – Parent Community Education Forum. This committee has successfully had 3 forums where students, parents, staff, and community came together to engage in discussions about education – what’s working and what needs to be done.
– Establishment of RET Connection Council where representatives of each of our schools Parent Councils come and meet with the Board to talk about things that are important to them and to learn about the different aspects of education in the division.

Day Care Spaces – although not part of a School Trustee’s mandate, this is a very important issue to parents in our community. I have met numerous times with parents, staff of childcare centres, and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning (government) to advocate for more day care spaces in Transcona – especially standalone day cares close to our early years schools. A great example of this work is the establishment of our very first standalone daycare at École Regent Park, Little Flamingos, and another daycare that will be in the new school. We are advocating for more stand-alone daycares such as these in Transcona.

Mentoring – School Trustees and School Divisions across the province on policy, processes, and governance.

No Stone Left Alone – an opportunity for every Grade 6 Transcona student to leave their classroom and gather at the Transcona Cemetery’s

Field of Honour for a ceremony to pay their respects to those Transcona veterans who served and gave their lives for our freedom.

Strategic Plan – successfully completing RETSD’s Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030. This plan will guide the division through the next few years with a direction to accomplish great things for our students.

Short- and Long-term School land and building plans – this is extremely important for Transcona families. We are experiencing great growth here in Transcona, so a lot of planning and advocating needs to take place for us to move forward with the purchase of land for new schools and also to get approval from government for new schools. Our Senior
Administrative team worked tirelessly to complete a facility review, and the board has been advocating on your behalf to receive the funding and approval necessary to purchase land and get new schools to reduce the overcrowding we are experiencing. Unfortunately, this takes time; government does not move fast. We have been successful in purchasing two pieces of property (Devonshire and Sumka) for new schools and we have also been successful in receiving approval of a new K-8 School in the Devonshire area. We have advocated for this over the last 10 years.