GUELPH, Ontario – Trustee Ralf Mesenbrink, school board trustee for Wards 2, 3 and 4 in the City of Guelph, was elected Chair of the Upper Grand District School Board at the Inaugural meeting of the Board on November 15, 2022.
The position is for a one-year term ending November 14, 2023.
This is Trustee Mesenbrink’s first time elected as Chair. He was elected as a trustee in October’s School Board Elections.
In his address to the Board, Mesenbrink thanked his trustee colleagues for their support and highlighted areas of focus for the year ahead.
“Together we as a Board and an organization have some big tasks ahead of us, and the work starts right away,” said Mesenbrink.
Areas of focus highlighted include a governance review by the Board of Trustees, overseeing the development and implementation of the UGDSB’s Multi-Year Plan, the construction of two new schools, the hiring of a Human Rights Advisor to support the Equity pillar of the Multi-Year Plan, addressing learning gaps in students, listening to families and community members, and supporting the UGDSB staff.
“These are significant tasks,” said Mesenbrink, “but working through them together will reward us as individuals, as a team, as an organization, and will benefit the community.”
“Congratulations to Trustee Mesenbrink on being elected Chair of the Board and welcome to the 2022-26 Board of Trustees,” said Director of Education Peter Sovran. “I am looking forward to working together to realize ‘Vision 2026’ as outlined in our new Multi-Year Plan, and to our ongoing commitment to all UGDSB students, staff, families and communities.”