A familiar face is coming back to the head of the Public Board of Education’s governance table.

At the Hastings Prince Edward District School Boards (HPEDSB) annual meeting on December 6, 2021, new leadership was put in as a result of elections of chair and vice-chair roles.

School Board Trustees elected Shannon Binder as Chair of the Board and Spencer Hutchison as Vice-chair of the Board effective Dec. 6, 2021 to Nov. 30, 2022.

Having previously been in the chair role, Binder expressed appreciation upon being elected to the lead role, once again. She acknowledged her action-oriented approach, being a strong communicator and someone who will lead the Board to model the HPEDSB vision and mission.

“I am open minded and direct, I will always respond to the boards questions and concerns,” Binder stated. “I’m a problem solver and will never shy away from an uncomfortable situation or potential conflict. Avoiding conversation makes escalation inevitable and we (the Board) are first and foremost a team. Respect should we not always be in complete agreement is paramount, the Board needs to work together and not micromanage.”

As trustee for Southeast Hastings, Binder was first elected in Oct. 2018 and served a one-year term as chair beginning in Dec. of that year. She then served a one-year term as vice-chair until Nov. 2020. She has served on the Executive Committee, Audit Committee and Mental Health Leadership Team.

Hutchison views the vice-chair role as an opportunity to contribute more to the Board over the next year.

“I see this as the last lap of four years,” Hutchison said. “This will be for the last election until new trustees are elected in the fall of 2022, and I see this as an opportunity to wind things up and get things finished that are out there. I would like to support chair Binder and her activities and in her absence step in and to be a team player and work with all the people on the executive and all of my trustee colleagues to make this a very successful work filing year.”

Hutchison was first elected in October 2018. He has served on the Operations and Finance Committee, Instructional Technology Advisory Committee, Special High Skills Majors Advisory Committee, and the Food for Learning Partnership.

In addition to Binder and Hutchison, other Board members are Mike Brant, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte; Lisa Anne Chatten, Belleville/Thurlow; Jennifer Cobb, North Prince Edward County; Bonnie Danes, Central Hastings; Alison Kelly, South Prince Edward County; Lucille Kyle, North Hastings; Krista McConnell, Belleville/Thurlow; and Kristen Parks, Sidney and Frankfort.

For more information please visit http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/