Houston resident Jennifer Williams was named the chair once again of the School District 54 school board and fellow Houston resident Les Kearns will once again serve as vice chair as trustees gathered for their first official business meeting Nov. 15 following the October elections.
The chair and vice chair are named for one year terms and this will be the fifth term for Williams as chair and the fifth term for Kearns as chair.
Trustee Frank Farrell was named provincial councillor and Kearns will be the school district’s representative to the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the provincial body which negotiates wages and benefits contracts between public school districts and their employees.
Additionally, trustee Kristina Graham was named the district’s Indigenous education representative.
In September, at the last regular board meeting before October trustee elections, Williams, Farrell, Kearns and another trustee, Priscilla Michell, were recognized with certificates and pins in recognition of their service on the school board.
While the first official board business meeting was Nov. 15, trustees did gather Oct. 25 for a brief inaugural meeting and swearing in of what will be the board for the next four years.
Four of the board’s seven trustees were elected by acclamation this time — Williams and Kearns for Houston, Graham for Telkwa and Quick and Michell for Lake Kathlyn/Evelyn/Witset.
Four people ran for the three seats for Smithers/Glentanna/Driftwood with incumbents Jason Krauskopf, Frank Farrell and Floyd Krishan being re-elected. Michael Burns ran fourth.
