January 14, 2010
New Directors bring 49 years of experience to School District No. 23
KELOWNA, BC: Retirement and restructuring created vacancies in two key senior staff positions at School District No. 23 in 2009. On January 1, 2010, two Directors officially assumed their new roles: Lisa McCullough is Director of Instruction (replacing Terry Beaudry who was promoted to Assistant Superintendent) and Jim Colquhoun is Director of Human Resources Labour Relations (a job vacated by the retirement of Rod Odlum).
“The Board is pleased to add two highly qualified professionals to our Executive team,” says Rolli Cacchioni, Chairperson of the Board of Education.
Lisa McCullough earned her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees at the University of Western Ontario and completed her teacher training at the University of British Columbia. Her first classroom job was with the North York Board of Education. She came to this District 14 years ago. More than half of her career has been spent at the school leadership level; she was a Vice-Principal at Central Primary/A.S. Matheson then Principal at Lakeview Heights, Springvalley Middle and Mount Boucherie Secondary.
McCullough also served as the President of the Central Okanagan Principals and Vice-Principals Association (COPVPA) in 2008/2009.
Her variety of experiences has prepared her for the demanding work in her new role. “I see this directorship as a continuation of supporting the work of school staff and leadership,” says McCullough. “We have an amazing staff in our schools with a great depth of knowledge and experience. I will also work closely with Trustees, other senior staff, partner groups and families as we strive to create a system that meets the needs of students in all of our schools.”
Although her portfolio has not been finalized, McCullough will be involved in assessment with a focus on student engagement in the classroom and supporting all the District’s teachers. She is also happy to be representing schools in West Kelowna and Peachland.
“With my years of teaching and living on the Westside, it’s exciting that I will be able to continue connecting with the Westside parents and community groups in my role as Director of Instruction. I have three children: one in Grade 11, one in Grade 8 and one in Kindergarten so they are at three different schools. My heart is definitely in seeing our District deliver outstanding educational opportunities.”
Jim Colquhoun earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queens University in Kingston with a major in Human Resources and Labour Relations. He spent the first 10 years of his career in the oil and petrochemical sector at Imperial Oil. He gained public sector experience as Director of Human Resources for two municipal governments: East York and Sarnia. Most recently, he worked for 13 years in the Human Resources department at Catalyst Paper in Campbell River.
“Pulp and paper is a sunset industry, meaning projections for growth are negative,” says Colquhoun. “I was drawn back to the public sector because of the passion that people in education have for their work. In the experience of my mother, who taught for more than 30 years, educating children is very fulfilling. Kelowna is also a beautiful place to live.”
In his new role, one of Colquhoun’s first major tasks is the collective bargaining process involving CUPE and the BC Public School Employers’ Association.
“I want to learn as much as I can about the business of education as quickly as possible,” says Colquhoun. “I would like to foster productive working relationships with the bargaining agents in our District. Another goal is facilitating professional development opportunities, which are vital to retaining and fostering qualified employees.”
Approved by the Superintendent on January 14, 2010
__________________________________________________________________________________________
For comments, please contact:
Lisa McCullough, Director of Instruction, (250) 860-3210 or (250) 860-8888
Jim Colquhoun, Director of Human Resources Labour Relations, (250) 860-8888
Hugh Gloster, Superintendent of Schools, School Board Office, (250) 860-8888
Rolli Cacchioni, Chairperson of the Board of Education, (250) 765-3419
For background information, please contact Lisa Harrison lharriso@sd23.bc.ca or 470-3284.