Catherine Wilson is making the Medicine Hat Public School Division board chair position her own after learning from those who came before her.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
lthomson@medicinehatnews.com
Catherine Wilson is serving as chair of the Medicine Hat Public School Board for a second term, and says she is making the role “her own.”
Acclaimed to chair after serving for the last year of the previous term, Wilson is happy to have the position again.
“I really wanted it,” she told the News. “I watched all my predecessors – Terry Riley, Rick Massini – they were all before me. You learn from all the people that sat in that position before you and then you just make it your own.”
Wilson came in on a byelection after her father unexpectedly passed away and left a seat open. She has been serving as a trustee for nine years. Wilson spent the first three years of the last term serving as vice chair to Rick Massini and took over as chair for the final year.
Three experienced members were elected back onto the board this year; Wilson, Massini and Deborah Forbes. Two new members joined the ranks, Yvonne Sissons and Pat Grisonich.
“There’s two new trustees and it’s fantastic,” said Wilson. “They’re really eager and I love it because they are attending everything and it’s just so beautiful. You want involved trustees, that’s the best way to learn.
“As a chair it is really exciting to see all your trustees so engaged. It’s a positive feeling knowing you have four engaged trustees that are going to help the work and that makes a big difference in changing everything for our kids.”
Wilson said she feels positive and excited about this coming year. She is happy to be able to spend a little more time face-to-face this year than last, when most everything was done via Zoom.
“I felt really disconnected from everything,” said Wilson. “Although we are still actively Zooming, we did have our first meeting to swear in the new trustees in person and we just properly spaced and wore our masks. When you get elected you want that swearing in done properly.”
Wilson said she also enjoys connecting with the board members and superintendent Mark Davidson as a group they call “First Team.”
“We’re creating a sub-meeting where trustees and Mark Davidson sit down and talk about what we want to see coming out of the next year, what are our goals,” explained Wilson. “It’s really important to do this because Mark has ideas, the board has ideas, we have two new trustees with great ideas; how are we going to bring that all together and what’s our priority? We’ve had First Team meetings before, but not like this, so that’s very exciting.”
Davidson, MHPSD superintendent, says he is very happy with the newly elected board.
“Our board is made up of five people who truly care about the community they serve, the children that we serve, and about one another,” said Davidson. “They are absolutely ready to listen and to lead by being available to the community they serve.”
