Assessing Accomplishments and Setting A Direction for the Coming Year
LCEEQ has as part of its Rules of Procedure the scheduling of the Annual Seminar: “the focus of said meeting will be to reflect on developments and actions taken since the previous April meeting, to modify the Strategic Plan, as necessary, and to continue to evaluate short and long term goals to address the needs of the English Educational Community while establishing priorities for the following year.”
Members of LCEEQ are named by the institution they represent for a two-year term. The current Committee will complete its mandate in June 2019 and a new LCEEQ Committee 2019-2021 will begin the new two-year cycle in the Fall. The Annual Seminar held on April 11-12, 2019 was well attended as existing members and new members were welcomed to participate in the deliberations.
Avril Aitken of Bishop’s University, a former representative of the University at the LCEEQ table and thus familiar with the organization, accepted the invitation to serve as animator. She was very successful in helping participants identify and celebrate the accomplishments of the last year, to consider elements of the LCEEQ Strategic Plan 2016-2020 which need to be further developed, to synthesize the feedback and recommendations of the participants, and to help set a direction for the year to come.
The meeting this year also featured a presentation by Mr. William Floch, Secrétaire adjoint of the Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers, who shared some very interesting demographic data related to the School Boards and employability trends over the last several years. This information was very helpful to LCEEQ members in determining priorities as we move forward.
Another outcome of the Annual Seminar was the confirming of the Steering Committee for the next two years. These individuals also serve as the members of the LCEEQ Corporation. LCEEQ is delighted to announce that Geoffrey Hipps, Director of Pedagogical Services, Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board has accepted to continue as President, while Cindy Finn, Director of Student Services, Lester B. Pearson School Board will serve as Vice-President. They will be ably assisted by a Past President, Sandra Furfaro, Director of Educational and Technology Services, English Montreal School Board, and three members at large: Deborah Foltin, Director of Educational Services for the Littoral School Board, Roma Medwid, Executive Director, Concordia Teacher Education Council and Marie Wahba, Director of Educational Services, Lester B. Pearson School Board. LCEEQ is in good hands for the next two-year cycle.
The next step in the process is that Steering Committee members, current and newly appointed, will meet in early May to review the findings of the April Seminar, and to propose plans to the whole Committee for next year at the upcoming June meeting.
The Committee recognized the contributions of two members who will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Mark Sutherland who represented the Central Quebec School Board and has served as the outgoing Vice-President, and Gina Farnell, Director of Complementary Educational Services from the same Board who represented the Administrators of Complementary Educational Services (ACES). LCEEQ wishes them both well as they enter the next leg of life’s journey.
