SUDBURY – Doreen Dewar, long-time chair of the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) has now stepped down. She did not put her name forward for the chair’s position at a meeting last week.
“I’ve been chair of the board for the past 10 years. I felt it was time for me to step down,” Ms. Dewar told The Expositor after a RDSB organizational meeting December 7. “I’m still remaining as a board trustee and I am looking forward to helping in any way I can.”
“I talked to Bob Clement (the new chair of RDSB) this morning and congratulated him again on becoming the new board chair and reiterated to him that I will help out wherever I can and take on whatever task or committee he and the board would like me to undertake.”
“I gave it everything I had as board chair,” Ms. Dewar told The Expositor. “But about three months ago I just decided I didn’t want to keep going as chair.”
RDSB director of education Bruce Bourget paid tribute to Ms. Dewar upon her departure as chair. He explained Ms. Dewar is the longest-serving trustee on the board, having been a trustee for 33 years, including nine with the former Sudbury Board of Education.
“Doreen Dewar has cultivated a leadership style that is respectful and inclusive, allowing voices to be heard and collective decisions to stand,” Mr. Bourget said. “She has been an articulate spokesperson for the board, (and her) political activity and astuteness has grown sharper with time.”
Ms. Dewar told The Expositor, “Over the last 10 years, there were a lot of issues and things the board has had to deal with. The biggest thing to me is the fact that our staff has been just outstanding to work with over the years, as have my colleagues. It’s the staff, they just continue to give way more than ever could be expected of them, they are just wonderful.”
“It’s the people that stand out,” stated Ms. Dewar. “I have been blessed to have been able to meet so many wonderful parents, students and school staff members over the years. This has been a big part of being the chair of the board.”
