SUDBURY—At the organizational meeting for Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) held on Tuesday, December 12, trustee Doreen Dewar was acclaimed chair of the board, and trustee Dena Morrison was acclaimed vice-chair of the board for another term. Membership on board standing committees was also approved.
Ms. Dewar is the longest serving trustee on the board with a total of 29 years, including nine years on the Sudbury Board of Education. She has been Chair of the board for the past six years and continues in the role. Prior to that, she served as vice-chair.
Trustee Dewar has served multiple terms as chair and been a member of every board committee. As chair of the board she has made many presentations to ministry standing committees. She has also been the board’s delegate on the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA). She has authored numerous newspaper articles and chaired many sub-committee meetings, including school review meetings. Doreen Dewar has been a teacher, homemaker, volunteer, coach and entrepreneur. She ran her own successful retail business for 11 years.
She has received awards for community involvement both locally and provincially. She is a recipient of OPSBA’s Bernadine Yackman award for community service and Thorneloe University’s Thorneloe Mitre for her contribution to education.
Chair Dewar said she looks forward to serving as chair for a sixth consecutive term. She will remain focused on student success, not only academic excellence, but also encompassing the physical, social, emotional and mental well-being of students.
“Rainbow District School Board will continue to bring learning to life, enabling students to fulfill their aspirations,” she said. “I welcome the opportunity to be part of this important mission.”
Dena Morrison has been a trustee since 1998. She has served as vice-chair of the board for the past six years and continues in that role. She also served as vice-chair in 2003. From 2004 to 2008, she served as chair of the board.
Raised in New Sudbury, Ms. Morrison attended Col. David Younger Public School, Carl A. Nesbitt Public School and Lasalle Secondary School. She attended the University of Western Ontario.
Trustee Morrison worked for the federal government for 25 years, gaining extensive experience in administration, policy development, human resource management, and budgeting. She held a number of positions of progressive responsibility at the local, provincial and national levels in Sudbury, Toronto and Ottawa/Hull.
Trustee Morrison played a leadership role in community consultations to establish Northeastern Elementary School in Garson, which opened in September 2002. She also served on every board committee as chair or as a member over the past 19 years.
At its meeting the RDSB voted members on board standing committees. Local trustee Grace Fox will be on the First Nation advisory committee, parent involvement committee, special education advisory committee (as an alternate), and strategic planning committee. Local trustee Larry Killens will serve on the strategic planning committee.
