EFMA directors spring session 2019

from Ops Talk Spring 2019

125 years and still going strong

By ChuCk MORRIs

March 11th and 12th of this year we hosted a directors’ spring workshop over two days. We had allowed for 50 people initially and quickly moved the number to 60 as spots sold out very rapidly. A lot of thought went into the variety of topics selected for presentation because of the number of new members in our association the last couple of years. Many of them had little experience in a public school organization.

The two-day session had a variety of topics ranging from what a facility director needs to be aware of. The presenters and presentations included: • Sterling Olson, the current secretary treasurer of the Vernon School

District; • Emergency Preparedness by Ian Heselgrave (SD #71 director of operations) spoke about the response to the Hornby Island school destroyed by fire; • The Health and Safety Program from Mark Margerison; • Harry Kumar of Delta spoke about custodial issues and cutbacks; • Joel Palmer, Rachelle Ray, and Damien Crowell from the ministry capital branch gave a great presentation on a variety of topics; • Janet Wall and Brian Kickurak from District 8 presented information on busing; • Chuck Morris and John Vantol had a session dealing with leadership and ethics; • Al Kavanaugh, a risk management professional most of us know spoke about risk and liabilities we all need to be aware of and respond to; • Working in a union environment and a talk about salary grids etc. presented by Deb Stewart and Maureen Carradice; • Our last session was an open forum to discuss maintenance and operation issues hosted by John Vantol and Mark Peaty.

Glenn Miller, our executive director and emcee for the day presented (finally) the EFMA membership certificate to Glen O’Keefe of SD #62 who has been waiting for a couple years.

Thank you to all who attended and to the presenters for doing such a great job, as well as to Molly for helping with all the logistics! n