Board of Education
BOARD VISION AND GOALS
The SD67 Board of Education is dedicated to realizing the vision of "Cultivating conditions for powerful learning, where every learner feels valued and inspired to contribute to an equitable and sustainable society". In support of this vision, the Board is firmly committed to establishing a learning organization based on core values identified through its strategic plan. These values - equity, resilience, empathy and sustainability - have been developed through a year-long community engagement process, incorporating feedback from students, parents, teachers, CUPE staff, and other community members. These values help inform the core work of the board, identified in five core goals: Student Success, Relationships & Belonging, Career Development, Truth and Reconciliation, and Child Care.
Rightsholders from the Penticton Indian Band have also supported this initiative, helping the district adopt a framework based on the teachings of the Four Food Chiefs, a creation story of the syilx-Okanagan.
Emphasizing students as the focal point of our priorities, our District's commitment, as outlined in its strategic plan, is to ensure they are actively engaged, consistently challenged, and well-prepared to navigate the obstacles and successes that lie ahead.
School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha) is governed by a Board of Education, publicly elected every four years to represent the interests of local communities in public schools. The current board of seven trustees represent the communities of Kaleden, Naramata, Penticton, Summerland and West Bench.
Governance of the school district is enhanced through the effective operation of committees and trustee assignment to both boards and agencies and to regular liaison processes with schools. Separate committees and school liaisons have been established to deal with specific areas within the Board's jurisdiction.
British Columbia School Trustees Association - For more information about BCSTA, please visit www.bcsta.org.
British Columbia Public School Employers' Association - For more information about BCPSEA, please visit www.bcpsea.bc.ca
To contact the Board of Education, please email [email protected]
BOARD MEMBERS
J. Palanio
Chair
James Palanio is excited to be elected as one of your Okanagan Skaha school trustees. He is the proud father of two girls currently in the school district. James and his wife graduated from Penticton Secondary School. He has over a decade of board and governance experience including time on City of Penticton advisory committees. James is an avid runner and past Ironman Canada finisher, and currently enjoys spending his free time running the many trails around Penticton.
S. Clarke
Vice Chair
Shelley was first elected as Trustee in 2007, and was elected Board Chair in November, 2018. She has served as British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) Provincial Councillor, Policy and Education Committee Chair in the past.
B. Sheppard
Trustee
Barb looks forward to continuing to put her business, governance and community background to work as a second term Trustee. She is driven, organized, energetic and flexible. Between her board governance work and involvement with various committees and community organizations, Barb has developed a unique ability to listen to the sometimes conflicting needs of various parties; look for options that meet the best interests of the collective group; continue to create and maintain relationships and mindfully deliver solutions that work. School District No. 67 is known for its leadership in the province and Barb is excited to have the opportunity to work together as a team to make the best 'public education' decisions for our students.
K. Botsford
Trustee
Karen Botsford is honoured to have been elected as Board of Education Trustee for School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha). She is looking forwarding to utilizing her knowledge and experience with the education system in the role of Trustee. Actively involved in the Naramata community, Karen believes that education is the gateway to a healthy and thriving community and she is committed to putting students first.
D. Stathers
Trustee
Dave, a retired teacher, spent thirty years in the B.C. education system and twenty seven of those were at Summerland Secondary School instructing senior level courses like History, Law, Civics and Social Studies. In conjunction with a previous career in journalism, he brings a passion for community, democracy and good governance to the board. "Doing what's best for kids" is still his number one focus and, as a second-term trustee, he looks forward to the challenges ahead. Dave will continue to referee basketball and attend numerous school events.
L. Van Alphen
Trustee
Linda Van Alphen is honoured to serve as a Board of Education Trustee for School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and to be able to renew her commitment to the students of this district for a sixth term. In the BC Public Education sector she has held leadership positions in the district, the BCSTA Thompson Okanagan Branch and at the Provincial level through the BC School Trustees' Association (BCSTA). In 2006 Ms. Van Alphen and her husband retired from business to a small diversified farm. She is proud to live in Summerland and believes strongly in giving back to the community. Ms. Van Alphen is a life-long learner and recently graduated from the Community Economic Development program at Simon Fraser University. She is a mother and grand-mother of five and spends as much spare time with her family as possible.
T. Van Raes
Trustee
Tracy Van Raes is thrilled to have been elected as one of your Okanagan Skaha Board Trustees. She is a mother of 2 children, working full time in Penticton as a Marketing and Community Relations Manager, Tracy also has a long history of volunteerism in Penticton. She has served as PAC chair for 5 years at Carmi Elementary, is a proud Rotarian, past board member for the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, SOVAS, Penticton Minor Ball and Habitat for Humanity. Tracy also served on 3 City Advisory Committees and Chairs the Transportation Advisory Committee. She also chairs the "Starfish Pack Program" which provides backpacks of food to children in need in our community every weekend of the school year.