Kawartha Lakes Trustee Resigns After 11-Year Tenure

After more than 11 years of service to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board, Kawartha Lakes Trustee Michelle Griepsma has moved out of the Board’s jurisdiction and has resigned from her role announced Wednesday.

Griepsma, a mother of four, was first elected as a trustee in 2010 and served as Board Chairperson for seven years from 2013 to 2020. Having relocated outside of the Board’s jurisdiction, Griepsma is no longer eligible to serve as a trustee. The Board accepted her resignation during the Sept. 28, 2021 Board meeting.

“It has been a wonderful journey serving in this role. I hope I have been able to contribute to the betterment of the Board and the Catholic Education of our students,” said Griepsma. “I want to thank all the Trustees and board administrators, the students, and dedicated staff and educators that I have worked with throughout my time on the Board. I wish the Board the greatest success moving forward.”

Board chairperson David Bernier has served alongside Griepsma for the duration of her time as a trustee and said he was impressed with her leadership skills from the beginning.

“I was so excited in 2010 when Michelle was first elected as Kawartha Lakes Trustee. I knew then what she brought to the table, a love for Catholic Education and strong leadership skills that she quickly put into use,” Bernier said. “PVNC Catholic has benefited from Michelle’s dedication and passion to see that our board delivers excellence in Catholic Education and that the needs of all students are being met. We will miss Michelle’s wisdom and leadership at this table. We all wish Michelle the very best as she moves on.”

During her time as a trustee, Griepsma also held leadership roles with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA), first as a regional director before being elected OCSTA Vice-President in 2018 and serving for two years in that role.

“Michelle has invested so much time and energy in service to our board and to the promotion of Catholic Education at the provincial level,” Director of Education Joan Carragher said. “She came to board and committee meetings prepared, was diligent in her leadership roles and always participated or chaired meetings with the utmost level of professionalism and always with the best interest of our students and staff at heart. We thank Michelle for her dedication and wish her the best as she enters this new chapter in her life.”

PVNC is now seeking candidates to fill the vacancy on the Board of Trustees and to represent separate school ratepayers for the City of Kawartha Lakes. The appointed trustee will serve with the Board of Trustees until Oct. 24, 2022, when the next Municipal Election determines a successful candidate for the Dec. 1, 2022 – Nov. 30, 2026 term of office.

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