October 18, 2004 is Election Day in Red Deer.  Return to Election Forum - Catholic School Board Candidates

Candidate for Catholic School Board Trustee

I have been a trustee of the Red Deer Catholic Regional Division for the past nine years, and I am running for re-election to that position. I am 46 years old. I have been married to Kathleen for 23 of those years. We have three children, two of whom are students in Red Deer Catholic schools. I earn my living by being the president of Laebon Homes, a position I have held for twenty eight years.

I think what people want from education are the basics. While the delivery of education is evolving and changing constantly, the basic principles remain the same. The goal is to present knowledge and information to students in a way that they can understand it and learn it and use it to learn to think independently.

Catholic schools have an added responsibility. Catholic schools exist to make Christ known to kids. While all schools try to teach students to love and respect each other and society, Catholic schools do so from a Christ based perspective.

As trustees we are a board of directors. It is our job to challenge administrators and teachers to excel. As parents we want what is the best for our children. As a trustee my job is to challenge all the staff of the division to be the best they can be, for the benefit of all children.

A trustee of Red Deer Catholic schools has several focuses. The first is to oversee the management of a large business. Our division spends over 40 million dollars a year. It is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely, and to make sure taxpayers get maximum value for their investment in education. I think it is important that at least some trustees have business experience so they can meaningfully review and critique the work of administration.

The second role of a Catholic school trustee is to ensure that every one of our schools is a faith based institution. It is possible to be a great school without being a Catholic school. However, to be a great Catholic school, every part of the institution must be permeated by faith. My role as a trustee is to challenge our entire team to make our schools look and feel Catholic.

A third role is the expansion of opportunities for Catholic children. In the past few years increasing numbers of parents in Central Alberta have chosen to send their children to Catholic schools. During my three terms as a trustee we have built a number of schools, and added on to and renovated others. My skills in the development and construction industry helps the Division get good value for each dollar spent.

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