EDUCATION NEWS
Parkview Adventist Academy Transition News Interview with Alberta Conference's President and Education Director
O
n September 28, 2020, an interview took place in Lacombe, AB regarding the transition of Parkview Adventist Academy from Burman University to the Alberta Conference. A transcript of that interview follows.
Eric: Hi Gary & Ronda, Thank you for taking the time to do this interview and hopefully help our readers understand what is happening with the Alberta Conference and Parkview Adventist Academy. By way of introduction for our readers, we have Gary Hodder. He serves as the President of the Alberta Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Alongside him, we have Ronda Ziakris, who serves as the Education Director for the Alberta Conference. My name is Eric Ollila. I currently serve as the Communication/IT/ Media Director for the Alberta Conference. Gary and Ronda, we understand from previous announcements that Parkview Adventist Academy is transitioning from being a Burman University-ownedand-operated entity to an Alberta Conference-owned-and-operated school. Is that still correct? Will PAA be owned and operated by the Alberta Conference? And as a brief overview, can you tell us what it will mean in practical terms? Ronda: Yes, that is correct. In practical terms, it means that PAA joins the other ten Alberta Conference schools regarding support, reporting, employees, PD, financial management, and governance.
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Alberta Adventist News
OCTOBER 2020
Eric: To date, what has taken place and what still needs to happen with the transition? Ronda: Most everything has taken place, as mentioned above. The biggest (and it's BIG and EXCITING) piece yet to take place is building a new school building so PAA can transition out of the Burman-owned building. Eric: This question is for either one of you. What is the long-term vision for this transition? And why did the Alberta Conference decide to engage with Burman University and take this step of change with PAA? Gary: The Alberta Conference felt it was vital to maintain an Adventist high school in the Central Alberta region, therefore adding PAA to its current school system. A vision we have for PAA would be to preserve and strengthen its longstanding presence in this province by providing a relevant, strong educational experience for every student. Eric: What benefits do you see coming out of this for PAA, the students, and the Alberta Conference? Ronda: Our hope and prayers are that the benefits, for all stakeholders, would be a school with a strong network of support. We want all students who graduate from PAA to leave with a strong sense of who
