Lisa Collins, the acting executive officer for the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) was elected this past Friday to serve as president of the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC).
The OPC represents current principals and vice-principals in Ontario’s public schools. Currently, there are 5,400 members.
Founded in 1997 in response to Bill 160, which removed principals and vice-principals from membership in teacher federations, and prohibited their right to unionize or be included within bargaining units, the workers decided to establish a professional association.
On April 1, 1998, under the guidance of their first president Rob Whetter, the OPC became official, and since then have provided resources and counsel to members.
Collins’ presidential term runs until the end of the 2022 school year.
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“Collins has handled her responsibilities at NNDSB with poise, confidence and optimism,” explained Deb Bartlett, communications officer with the NNDSB.
“She has demonstrated her commitment to being a team player with her colleagues and NNDSB,” Bartlett continued, adding that “only with solid leadership as exemplified by Lisa can we continue to move ahead towards a positive cultural shift in NNDSB.”
Collins started her career with NNDSB as an educational assistant in 1998, and went on to earn her teaching degree, which led her to teaching both English and French Immersion.
After 11 years before the desks, she became a principal with the board in 2010.
Her position as president may be new to Collins, but her experience with the organization dates back to 2016 when she became the elementary provincial councillor for NNDSB.
She was then appointed member at large the following year, and in 2019 was elected as vice president.
“Collins looks forward to advocating on behalf of school administrators across Ontario” in her new role, Bartlett said.
“We are very proud of Lisa’s accomplishments in her career,” she added, “and are excited to celebrate her achievements in the coming year.”
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David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
