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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Ten candidates hope to become a trustee on the Catholic school board. Below, they share goals, experience and their reasons for running.

Erin Currie

Age: 47

Occupation: nurse practitioner, internal medicine

Background/experience: Attended a Catholic school for primary and secondary, outside of Yellowknife. Was a member of the parent teacher advisory committee at St. Joseph School for a year.

Why you're running: "I guess from the last few years there has been a lot of unfortunate incidents related to the Catholic school board. The end result has been that the board has had their reputation tarnished. I think the time has come where there is a need for some honesty and transparency in the trustees. We need to refocus on why we are there, which is to ensure that the kids get as good a faith-based education as we can deliver."

Goals for the next term: "I would like to see more communication between the Catholic school board and the parents, specifically with the website. It is not user-friendly and it is difficult to manoeuvre through and find what information you might be looking for. In general I think the board needs to refocus and improve communications."

Miles Welsh

Age: 46

Occupation: financial assistance analyst

Background/experience:

Been a parent advisory committee member and helped two daughters through the Catholic school system since 1993.

Why you're running: "Since 1997 I have always taken an active interest in what is going on at the school. My daughters have both successfully graduated and I feel I still have something to give and contribute."

Goals for the next term: "I have always been a big supporter of the schools' literacy programs and have considered it the great equalizer. I would like to see what kind of public interest and public participation at the board we can get. We have had some success over time in having the public coming to the board. When they make their voices known, that is important. I have said things at the school board that are important to me and it would be nice if we could continue to get people to do that type of thing and to encourage support."

Lee Stroman

Age:52

Occupation: airport manager

Background/experience: Incumbent vying for second term

Why you're running: "I believe there is a lot of work to be done and we have started a lot of things. It is an exciting time in the history of the Yellowknife Catholic Schools. We are celebrating the 60th year of Catholic schools Yellowknife. I believe very strongly in the schools and it is really important that we sustain them and sustain the people who are serving on them. I have a very large family with four kids and two grandchildren in the board this year. I want to do what I can do to support the really excellent teachers and administrators who run those schools."

Goals for the next term: "I think my goals are to ensure the viability of the district and to promote and grow our schools. I think we do that by establishing a clear vision for the future and allowing the excellent staff in the district to do their job in a visionary way."

Steve Voytilla

Age: 39

Occupation: implementation co-ordinator, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs (on parental leave)

Background/experience: Vying for first term. Attended St. Patrick High School from Grade 4 to 12. Been in Yellowknife since 1981 and is a member of the Catholic church. First daughter baptized at the church.

Why you're running: "I have been talking to a lot of people who weren't happy with the direction the last board was heading. I see myself as more of a moderate Catholic. My primary interest is to offer a different style and perspective from the current board. I hope to offer people a choice. If they like where the last board of trustees was going, elect those people. Or they can focus on the education and the kids rather than on Catholic policy and that."

Goals for the next term: "My primary driver is because my daughters will be going through the system. I would rather get involved in the beginning of their education, rather than at the end when they are in Grade 12 and try to make changes then."

Simon Taylor

Age: 44

Occupation: architect

Background/Experience: Incumbent and vying for second term. I think there were a lot of lessons learned from the last term and I would like to see the new board being more effective and working in advocating on behalf of the district.

Why you're running again: "The last term things didn't go very well essentially (the board's attempt to sack administration) and the board in many ways became a distraction for how things were supposed to go. The atmosphere between the board and administration was not conducive to a really successful working relationship and I would like to see that changed. There is an implied understanding as a board member that you are dealing with generalities in policies and not dealing with specifics. I would hope that if I was on the board, I would be able to assist in steering the board in keeping that distance from administration."

Goals for the next term: Would like to see French Immersion continue and find ways to address crowding in the schools.

John Dalton

Age: Rather not say

Occupation: owner of YK Management and a small exploration company

Background/experience: Former Catholic school board member, including chair. He has been a city councillor, hospital board member and NACC board member. Dalton's children have gone through the system. He was also a senior federal manager for 24 years.

Why you're running: "I want to rebuild the trust in the board and look at the whole role and responsibility of leadership for that board. I think some of them on this board have lost sight of what it means to provide leadership. They're there primarily not only to develop budgets and planning and things in the practical sense, but they're there to provide leadership and accountability to the students and to the parents."

Goals for the next term: "I want to look at planning for the future and where the system is going and how do we set ourselves on the right path for that. I want to look at accountability. There are a number of things that I want to see changed in relation to how the board operates. They can currently have closed meetings and merely record that motions are passed. There is no record of how individuals voted. I think addressing these is key for accountability."

Francis Chang

Age: 56

Occupation: mechanical technician at Diavik

Experience/background: Was elected to two trustee terms, but didn't finish either one. Chang was elected in 1992 and resigned his position out of a perceived conflict of interest about a year into his mandate because his partner was hired by the board in the front office. He was also elected in 2009 but resigned again in 2010 because he was busy with his new mechanical technician job at Diavik.

Why are you running: "Now that I am established at work with my scheduling I feel comfortable with running. I have been involved with the school for quite a few years and have been on the board twice. I know teachers at school and a lot of the parents. The last few terms there have been issues that seemed to have crept up and got carried away, like the reasons why trustee Rosemary Jackson resigned. I think I am a fairly reasonable voice on the board to deal with such issues in a reasonable manner."

Goals for the next term: "I just want to provide a steady hand on the wheel. The board is the political arm of the district and we don't micromanage anything within the system itself. I think we have some good people there and we pay them a good amount of money to do a good job and they are doing a great job."

Jeffrey Kincaid

Age: 33

Occupation: business development/asset manager at YK Co-op

Background/experience: Vying for first term. Currently the treasurer on the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and works with an elected board of directors at the Yellowknife Co-op.

Why you're running: "The reason I am choosing to run is that I have a child that is entering school age very soon and is not quite old enough right now. My wife and I have decided that he will attend a Catholic school as she did, who is a graduate of the Catholic school system. I wanted to get involved and make sure I could use my expertise in terms of asset management, financial efficiency to give our students and teachers the best possible resources to succeed."

Goals for the next term: "Providing financial accountability. Maintaining the building and long-term goals of the future to maximize the resources teachers and administrators have."

Amy Simpson-Hacala

Age: 33

Occupation: manager of policy and planning at MACA

Background/experience: Has been on the board during two previous terms from 2003 to 2009.

Why you're running: "I have three kids in the system all attending St. Joseph School and I really feel that being a trustee is a great way to be involved. Over the last three years I missed it. I think I would come to it with experienced but fresh eyes."

Goals for the next term: "One of the big things for me is inclusive schooling. People often forget that there are kids who need extra support because they are advanced or learn better in different situations. I want to make sure that no one is falling through the cracks and that everybody is being addressed in some way. This would mean bring back the former enrichment programs that the board used to have."

Gerda Hazenburg

Age: Rather not say

Occupation: Retired teacher

Background/experience: Incumbent vying for a second term. Currently the president of the Kole Crook Fiddlers Association, which provides fiddling programs and organizes fiddling classes throughout schools in the NWT.

Why you're running: "I'm an educator, first and foremost, and as an educator I taught 17 years in the NWT. I think I have strong leadership ability and ability to look at questions from all sides and to consider all aspects of an issue before making a decision."

Goals for the next term: "I would like to keep the Do Edaezhe program (program to increase resiliency and leadership among aboriginal students) going because the funding for that is going to end two years from now. I want to make sure that program in our schools is sustainable and that we can afford to keep doing what we are currently doing."

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