Nechako Lakes School District (SD91) principal Heidi Grant has been named as one of the 2022-2023 board of directors of the BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association (BCPVPA).
The new board, announced July 1 has members representing school-based and district leaders in the province’s K-12 public school system.
Grant said she is delighted to be reelected to the BCPVPA where she has served five terms in the past 10 years.
Grant has been the principal of Lakes District Secondary School in Burns Lake for the past seven years. Prior to that she has been a teacher for 35 years and has also worked in Victoria, Cowichan Valley school districts.
“Our board guides the work of a staff who support the professional learning, contractual, and wellness needs of our members, ” said Grant, adding, “We have been fortunate over the past 10 years to have many directors from the north, including Bulkley-Nechako Valley, Nisga’a, and Prince George”.
The school district said it appreciates the time and efforts put in by long-serving members like Grant.
“Having local representation allows for a rural and northern perspective which is always beneficial in such a large and diverse province,” said Mike Skinner, assistant superintendent of SD 91.
“The BCPVPA has and continues to provide quality visioning and advocacy for leadership development for new and existing principals and vice-principals,” added Skinner.
Sid Jawanda from SD 57 (Prince George) is another northern representative on the board this year.
Brian Leonard (SD43, Coquitlam) assumes the role of President for a two-year term. Brian has been an educator for 25 years, served as a Director on the BCPVPA Board for 10 years, and moves from his role as an elementary school Principal in Coquitlam. Darren Danyluk (SD6, Rocky Mountain), a secondary school Principal from Invermere, will continue serving on the Board as Past-President.
The 2022-2023 Directors of the Board are: Jacqueline Borosa, SD68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith), David DeRosa, SD20 (Kootenay-Columbia), Sanj Johal, SD44 (North Vancouver), Paul Marsden, SD36 (Surrey), Navshina Savory, SD38 (Richmond), Tara Zielinski, SD45 (West Vancouver) and Sally Zryd, SD73 (Kamloops-Thompson).
The board guides BCPVPA in providing advocacy and professional development support for 2,600 members employed as principals, vice-principals, district principals, and directors of instruction in sixty school districts across the province.