KELOWNA elementary school teacher Carole Gordon has been elected to serve as the next President of the BC Teachers’ Federation.
Gordon comes into the position with extensive experience behind her, as she previously served three years as BCTF Second Vice-President and three years as First Vice-President. As well, she brings longtime community volunteerism and the experience of having run against Christy Clark for Westside-Kelowna MLA in 2013.
“It’s a tremendous honour to serve and represent the teachers of BC,” Gordon said. “I believe this work has to be done with empathy, curiosity, and humility because no one does this job alone. I’ll be centering teachers and bringing everybody’s stories with me, walking the halls with 50,000 teachers—that’s really important to me.”
Gordon takes the helm at the end of June, when the current president, Clint Johnston, completes his three-year term and takes up his new role in Ottawa as the elected President of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation.
“I’m so happy to pass this role onto my friend and colleague, Carole,” Johnston said. “Her deep experience in the classroom, her intelligence and empathy, and her strong leadership skills all mean the Federation will be in tremendously capable hands.”
About 700 teachers from across the province gathered in Vancouver last weekend for the 109th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the BCTF. The AGM is the largest of three governance bodies that direct the union on behalf of BC’s 51,000 public school teachers.
Delegates elected new members of the BCTF Executive Committee, including First Vice-President Robin Tosczak and Second Vice-President Winona Waldron, both from the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association.
They also elected five new Members-at-Large on the Executive Committee, including:
- Shannon Bowsfield from the Mission Teachers’ Union
- Adrienne Demers from the Fernie Teachers’ Association
- Mary Lawrence from the Prince George Teachers’ Association
- Frano Marsic from the Richmond Teachers’ Association
- David Peterson from the Nechako Teachers’ Association.
Next school year, these newly elected teachers will join the following currently sitting Executive Committee members:
- Jelana Bighorn from the Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association
- Brenda Celesta from the Kamloops Thompson Teachers’ Association
- Hallan Mtatiro from the Surrey Teachers’ Association
- Chris Perrier-Evely from the Nanaimo Teachers’ Association
- Trevana Spilchen from the Delta Teachers’ Association.
