The Upper Grand District School Board has ten elected trustee members who represent the municipalities within the counties of Dufferin and Wellington. Trustees are accountable to their communities and to the province for continuous improvement in the level of student achievement in their schools. Two student trustees are selected each year by student senators and are appointed for one-year terms by the Board.
All mail correspondence to all trustees can be sent to the Guelph Board Office at 500 Victoria Road North, Guelph, Ontario, N1E 6K2.
Learn more about being a Board Trustee or about Student Senate and being a Student Trustee
Electoral area: City of Guelph (Wards 2, 3 and 4)
School Liaison for: Central PS, College Heights SS, Gateway Drive PS, John McCrae PS, Mitchell Woods PS, Paisley Road PS, Taylor Evans PS, Victory PS, Willow Road PS, Continuing Education, Elementary Remote Learning Program (ERLP)
Email: ralf.mesenbrink@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 575
Electoral area: City of Guelph (Ward 6) and Township of Puslinch
School Liaison for: Aberfoyle PS, Centennial CVI, Kortright Hills PS, Rickson Ridge PS, Sir Isaac Brock PS, Westminster Woods PS
Email: katherine.hauser@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 571
Electoral area: Township of Guelph/Eramosa, Township of East Garafraxa and Town of Erin
School Liaison for: Brisbane PS, East Garafraxa PS, Eramosa PS, Erin DHS, Erin PS, École Harris Mill PS, Rockwood Centennial PS, Ross R. MacKay PS
Email: jennifer.edwards@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 572
Electoral area: Township of Centre Wellington
School Liaison for: Centre Wellington DHS, Elora PS, James McQueen PS, J.D. Hogarth PS, John Black PS, Ponsonby PS, Salem PS, Victoria Terrace PS
Email: marina.hanenberg@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 570
Electoral area: City of Guelph (Wards 1 and 5)
School Liaison for: Arbour Vista PS, Guelph CVI, Jean Little PS, Ken Danby PS, Priory Park PS
Email: martha.macneil@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 574
Electoral area: Town of Orangeville
School Liaison for: Credit Meadows ES, Dufferin Centre for Continuing Education, Island Lake PS, Montgomery Village PS, Parkinson Centennial PS, Princess Elizabeth PS, Princess Margaret PS, Orangeville DSS, Spencer Avenue ES, Westside SS
Email: alethia.oharastephenson@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 573
Electoral area: Township of Wellington North, Town of Minto and Township of Mapleton
School Liaison for: Alma PS, Arthur PS, Centre Peel PS, Drayton Heights PS, Kenilworth PS, Maryborough PS, Minto-Clifford PS, Norwell DSS, Palmerston PS, Victoria Cross PS, Wellington Heights SS
Email: robin.ross@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 577
Electoral area: Townships of Amaranth, East Luther/Grand Valley, Melancthon, Mulmur, and Towns of Mono and Shelburne
School Liaison for: Centennial Hylands ES, Centre Dufferin DHS, Glenbrook ES, Grand Valley and District PS, Hyland Heights ES, Laurelwoods ES, Mono-Amaranth PS, Primrose ES
Email: lynn.topping@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 579
Electoral area: City of Guelph (Wards 1 and 5)
School Liaison for: Brant Avenue PS, FA Hamilton PS, Guelph Lake PS, John McCrae PS, John F. Ross CVI, William C. Winegard PS
Email: luke.weiler@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 576
Electoral area: City of Guelph (Wards 2, 3 and 4)
School Liaison for: Edward Johnson PS, John Galt PS, King George PS, June Avenue PS, Ottawa Crescent PS, Waverley Drive PS, Westwood PS
Email: laurie.whyte@ugdsb.on.ca
Phone: 519-822-4420 ext. 578
Student at Centre Dufferin DHS
Student at Guelph CVI
Standing Committees (1-Year Term)
Policy and Priorities: Trustee Ross (Chair), Trustee O’Hara-Stephenson, Trustee MacNeil, Trustee Topping, Trustee Whyte
Finance and Facilities: Trustee Edwards (Chair), Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee Hauser, Trustee Mesenbrink
Governance: Trustee Weiler (Chair), Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee MacNeil, Trustee Mesenbrink, Trustee Ross
Statutory Committees: (1-Year Term unless stated otherwise)
Audit Committee (4-Year Term): Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee Hauser, Trustee Mesenbrink
Parent Involvement Committee (PIC): Trustee MacNeil. Alternates: Trustee Hauser, Trustee Edwards
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) (4-year Term): Trustee O’Hara-Stephenson, Trustee Whyte. Alternates: Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee Hauser
Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL):
Wellington County: Trustee Ross, Alternate Trustee Whyte
Dufferin County: Trustee Topping, Alternate Trustee Mesenbrink
City of Guelph: Trustee Mesenbrink, Alternate Trustee Whyte
First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Council
Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee MacNeil. Alternate: Trustee Topping
External Appointments
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Director and Voting Delegate: Trustee MacNeil. Alternate: Trustee Edwards
Art Gallery of Guelph: Trustee MacNeil, Trustee Hauser, Trustee Edwards
Upper Grand Learning Foundation: Trustee Edwards
Ad Hoc Committee
Honouring Martha Rogers Ad Hoc Committee: Trustee MacNeil (Chair), Trustee Hauser, Trustee Ross, Trustee Topping, Trustee Whyte
MYP Advisory Committees
Lifelong Love of Learning: Trustee Hanenberg, Trustee Topping
Health and Wellbeing: Trustee Hauser, Trustee Ross
Equity and Access of Outcomes: Trustee O’Hara-Stephenson, Trustee Whyte
Sustainability: Trustee Edwards, Trustee MacNeil
Administrative Assistant to the Board
Phone 519-822-4420 ext. 724
Email basia.zakaria@ugdsb.on.ca
