AMDSB chair 2013, Colleen Schenk.
HEATHER BOA Bullet News SEAFORTH – A trustee from Huron County was elected chair of the Avon Maitland District School Board last night
Colleen Schenk, the board’s longest serving trustee, replaces Jenny Versteeg, who represents North Perth, after nomination and election by secret ballot. Trustee Randy Wagler, who represents the municipalities of South Huron and Bluewater, was also nominated but declined to run.
“This upcoming year may prove to be challenging with labour unrest,” Schenk said during her two-minute nomination address, adding she has the experience as former board chair and two terms president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association to meet the challenge.
Schenk wants to find more time on the agenda to get to questions from trustees on issues that face the board. In a series of meetings held every second Tuesday, trustees start at 5 p.m. and often don’t adjourn until after 10 p.m., after considering agendas that may be dominated by lengthy presentations by staff.
“By the end of the night we get really, really tired. If we cut down on the number of presentations and open it up to alternate Tuesdays to have more presentations or having just a little different arrangement so the meetings aren’t quite so long and onerous. After a certain number of hours, you fade out,” said Schenk.
She added that people making presentations have spent a lot of hours preparing and deserve attention.
Schenk is in her sixth term on the board, representing the municipalities of North Huron and Morris-Turnberry and Township of Howick. During that time, she has served one term as chair and one term as vice-chair.
Lynette Geddes was acclaimed as vice-chair of the board. She is trustee for St. Marys, Perth South and West Perth. She is in her first term as a trustee after being elected in 2010.
