for School Board Trustee
Ward 6 (Guelph South End) & Puslinch, Upper Grand District School Board
Let’s build this together.
Strong public schools are one of the foundations of strong communities. As a Guelph resident, I want every student in Ward 6 and Puslinch to have the chance to learn, grow and thrive.
Schools are more than buildings where instruction happens. They are where children build confidence, relationships, skills and a sense of belonging. Families need to know their children are learning somewhere safe, inclusive and supportive, and educators and education workers need the resources and working conditions to do their jobs well.
After more than eight years working in large technology companies, I want to bring my experience in collaboration, program leadership, problem-solving and responsible decision-making to public service.
As a first-time candidate, I’m not running because I think I have every answer. I’m running because I’m ready to listen, ask difficult questions, examine the evidence, work collaboratively and advocate for decisions that put students at the centre.
Evidence-based approaches to literacy, numeracy and achievement, with early support for students who need extra help.
Safe, respectful and welcoming schools where every student feels they belong and knows where to turn for help.
Working with families, educators and community organizations to expand the opportunities and supports available to students.
Digital literacy and responsible use of technology and AI, with investments that have a clear educational purpose, proper safeguards and measurable value.
I’ll attend School Council and community meetings, explain board decisions in plain language, and close the feedback loop: telling you what we heard, what action was taken, what couldn’t be done and why.
My most recent direct connection to the public school system was on September 15, 2026, when I visited Rickson Ridge Public School in Guelph and attended its School Council meeting. The visit gave me an opportunity to see the school environment firsthand and better understand how parents, school leadership and community members work together to support students.
During my visit, I toured the school facilities and learned about opportunities for parents and community members to become involved through volunteering and School Council. I had the pleasure of meeting the Principal and Vice-Principal, interacting with parents, and listening to the discussions taking place about the school community. I also observed the School Council process, including the selection of executive positions such as Chair and Secretary, and learned about upcoming school activities and opportunities for family engagement.
What I valued most was the opportunity to listen directly to parents and school leaders. As a first-time trustee candidate, I believe understanding public education requires more than reading policies and reports; it requires being present in schools, listening to the people who experience the system every day, and understanding both what is working well and where additional support may be needed.
If elected, I would continue this kind of engagement throughout my term by visiting schools across the communities I represent, attending School Council meetings when appropriate, engaging with students, families, educators and education workers, and ensuring that perspectives from the school level inform the questions I ask and the decisions I make at the board table.
I decided to run because I believe strong public schools are one of the foundations of strong communities. Schools are much more than buildings where academic instruction takes place. They are environments where children develop confidence, relationships, skills and a sense of belonging. Families need to know their children are receiving a high-quality education in an environment that is safe, inclusive and supportive, while educators and education workers need the resources and working conditions that allow them to do their jobs effectively.
After more than eight years working in large technology companies, I want to bring my experience in collaboration, program leadership, problem-solving, responsible decision-making and working with diverse stakeholders to public service.
I am also running because I believe trustees need to be visible and accessible. Families should understand what their school board is doing, why decisions are being made and how they can participate. As a first-time candidate, I am not running because I believe I already have every answer. I am running because I am prepared to listen, ask difficult questions, examine evidence, work collaboratively and advocate for decisions that put students at the centre. That is what my campaign theme, “Let’s Build This Together,” means to me.
If elected, I would focus on four interconnected priorities: quality education for every student; student well-being and inclusion; stronger schools through partnerships; and future-ready learning. These priorities are also consistent with important elements of UGDSB’s existing Multi-Year Plan, including student achievement, health and well-being, equity of access and outcomes, supportive learning environments and stronger community relationships.
One of the biggest roadblocks is that trustees operate within significant provincial legislative and funding constraints. School boards do not independently determine their overall funding envelope. This makes responsible governance especially important. When resources are constrained, trustees must understand where dollars are going, evaluate whether programs are producing results and ensure limited resources are directed toward student needs.
I would make the trustee role relevant through visibility, accessibility and communication. I want residents to know who their trustee is before there is a problem. That means attending School Council and community meetings, creating regular opportunities for residents to raise concerns, communicating important board decisions in understandable language, and reporting back on issues residents have brought forward.
I also believe trustees should close the feedback loop. Consultation should not simply mean asking people for feedback. Communities should understand what we heard, what action was taken, what could not be done and why.
I see the major issues in education as interconnected rather than isolated. Student achievement and foundational learning must remain central. Students need strong literacy, numeracy, critical-thinking and communication skills, and when achievement data show gaps, boards should respond early rather than allowing students to fall further behind.
Student mental health and well-being are equally important. A child who does not feel safe, supported or connected at school will have difficulty reaching their academic potential. Special education and classroom supports are another major concern. Ontario’s projected 2026–27 Special Education Fund is approximately $3.83 billion and supports additional programs, services, equipment and staffing for students with special education needs. Boards retain important responsibility for determining local programming and staffing within that framework.
Educator and education-worker workload, recruitment and retention also matter. Student success depends heavily on the people working directly with students. Retention is not simply an HR issue; continuity, experience and healthy working environments affect classrooms and student outcomes.
I am also interested in future-ready education. Technology, artificial intelligence and the labour market are changing rapidly. Schools need to prepare students to use technology critically and responsibly while ensuring that technology complements—not replaces—the relationships, professional judgment and human interaction that are fundamental to education.
Finally, families consistently want communication and transparency. People should be able to understand how decisions are made, where resources are going and how they can meaningfully participate.
My first priority would be quality education for every student. I would support evidence-based approaches to improving literacy, numeracy and student achievement, while paying particular attention to students who require additional intervention or support.
My second priority would be student well-being and inclusion. Students should be able to attend school knowing they will be safe, respected and supported. Third, I would focus on stronger partnerships between schools, families, educators and community organizations. Schools cannot solve every challenge independently, and strong community partnerships can expand opportunities and supports available to students.
Fourth, I would champion future-ready learning. My professional background is in technology, and I believe I can bring useful perspective to conversations about digital literacy, AI, technology investments and preparing students for changing post-secondary and employment environments. At the same time, technology investments should have a clear educational purpose, appropriate safeguards and measurable value.
Rather than entering office with a predetermined list of policies to rewrite, I would first examine existing policies, evidence, implementation outcomes and stakeholder feedback. I would prioritize policy work that improves transparency, accessibility, student outcomes, responsible resource allocation and measurable accountability.
I would approach this question based on outcomes rather than partisanship. The provincial government establishes much of the legislative, curriculum and funding framework within which school boards operate. For 2026–27, Ontario provides most operating revenue for publicly funded school boards through core education funding, including classroom staffing, learning resources, special education, facilities, transportation and administration.
As trustee, my responsibility would be to evaluate whether the resources and policies available to UGDSB are meeting the needs we see locally and to communicate clearly when there are gaps. Where provincial initiatives improve student achievement, accountability or access to supports, I would work constructively to implement them effectively. Where UGDSB evidence indicates that provincial policy or funding is creating challenges for students, educators or families, I believe trustees have a responsibility to document those impacts and advocate to the Ministry of Education for changes.
My approach would therefore be evidence-based, constructive and focused on students rather than political affiliation.
UGDSB is currently finalizing Policy 217, Human Rights: Code-based Discrimination and Harassment, alongside companion procedures intended to support consistent complaint processes, response timelines and implementation across schools and departments.
Every student deserves access to education in an environment where they are treated with dignity and respect and are protected from discrimination and harassment. My commitment would include supporting clear processes for reporting concerns, ensuring students know where to seek help, monitoring whether complaints are addressed consistently, and examining whether systemic barriers are affecting particular groups of students.
Human rights should not exist only as language in a policy. Students should experience those commitments in their classrooms and schools.
Families should be treated as meaningful partners in their children’s education. That requires accessible communication, respectful engagement and fair processes when concerns arise. Families should understand how to raise a human-rights concern, what process will follow and when they can expect a response.
Accessibility also means recognizing that families may face linguistic, disability-related, cultural, technological or other barriers to participating in school-board processes.
Teachers, educational assistants, administrators, custodial staff, support professionals and other employees are also entitled to workplaces free from discrimination and harassment. A board cannot credibly promise safe and inclusive environments for students while failing to provide them for employees.
As trustee, I would support clear policies, fair and timely complaint processes, appropriate training and accountability while respecting due process, collective agreements and the respective responsibilities of trustees and administration.
I see standardized testing as one source of information—not the definition of student success or the sole measure of school quality. EQAO assessments provide standardized information about literacy and mathematics at key stages. EQAO describes its results as a snapshot and recommends considering large-scale assessment results alongside classroom observations, conversations and assessment results for a fuller picture of student learning.
Board-level data can help identify achievement trends, gaps between student groups and areas requiring additional support. It can also help boards evaluate whether interventions are producing improvements over time. But the data should be interpreted alongside classroom assessments, educator observations, student well-being indicators, graduation outcomes and other evidence.
I would therefore support using standardized data diagnostically rather than punitively. If results identify a gap, the important question for trustees should be: What does the evidence tell us students need, and how are we responding?
Employee retention is directly connected to student success. Students benefit from experienced educators and education workers who understand their schools, communities and individual needs. Persistent turnover can disrupt relationships, increase workloads for remaining employees and make it more difficult to provide consistent programming.
I would want the board to examine retention systematically rather than treating departures as isolated events. That means looking at turnover and vacancy data, workload, absenteeism, hard-to-fill roles, professional development opportunities, workplace culture and employee feedback. I would also want to distinguish between issues that UGDSB can address directly and those requiring provincial advocacy.
My approach would be to listen to employees and their representatives, use workforce data to identify recurring problems, support respectful working environments and hold the organization accountable for measurable improvements where problems are identified. Supporting employees and demanding accountability are not competing ideas; strong organizations should be capable of doing both.
Have a question, a concern, or an idea for our schools? I want to hear from you.