I reside in Kelowna with my husband, who is a retired teacher, and my daughter who attends Grade 8 at Okanagan Mission Secondary.
Seven years ago, I was first elected as a school trustee to the Central Okanagan Board of Education, then representing the Westside. It is my hope to continue to take advantage of her experience to serve as a steward and advocate for public education.
The board of education oversees a $256 million budget, employs over 3,000 people, operates 43 schools and educates 22,700 students.
As a wife, mother and business woman, I bring experience in governance, volunteerism and business to the school board table to discuss recommendations by staff on finance, education, planning and human resources. I am the current chair of the finance and audit committee.
I believe the school board’s priority is to encourage student success and to ensure that every child in our care receives the supports necessary to reach their full potential. My goals are: 1) to advocate for stable, adequate and predictable funding which would provide quality, uninterrupted education for students and provide teachers with the necessary resources for teaching; 2) to improve collaboration between the school board and other levels of government, local business and the arts community to further develop our students as leaders; 3) to develop an evaluation process for trustees; 4) develop a district strategic plan with broad community consultation.