Sooke District School Board chair Bob Phillips has resigned after 18 months in the position.
Before his tenure as chair, Phillips, 70, served as vice-chair for several years and as a trustee for 15 years. Prior to his resignation, he was nearly halfway through his second one-year term as chair, but will now continue as a trustee instead.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a good time for our board to take a look at some other options for the person as the board chair,B次元官网网址� he said, adding his resignation is timely to allow the board to follow through with succession planning.
Phillips pointed out the main reason for leaving is not in any way controversial, but due to personal and family matters, which will otherwise impact the amount of time required from his role as chair.
B次元官网网址淭he board chair position has time requirements to it and people expect faster responses,B次元官网网址� he said, hoping this will nudge the board to bring younger blood into the mix. B次元官网网址淚 really think we need to take a look at some younger options on the board. How do we see that younger people are part and parcel of the significant delivery of services, be it public or private.B次元官网网址�
The Sooke school district is certainly caught in a volatile phase. With 500 teachers and around 10,500 students, it is also one of the in the province, creating space and accommodation challenges for new students.
Phillips isnB次元官网网址檛 the only one leaving, either. Sooke school district superintendent Jim Cambridge told the board last week he plans to retire once his five-year contract expires next fall, though Cambridge said itB次元官网网址檚 not yet official.
For the time being however, Cambridge said heB次元官网网址檚 happy to work with any of the existing seven board trustees, some of whom have previously filled the chair position.
B次元官网网址淏obB次元官网网址檚 been an amazing board chair, heB次元官网网址檚 been great to work with, heB次元官网网址檚 very experienced and great trustee. IB次元官网网址檓 happy to work with whoever the board decides to be the chair going into the future,B次元官网网址� he said.
As far as carrying to torch forward, Phillips said that while the chair has an important role, the corporate board makes decisions in unison by all seven members.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the group that makes the decisions.B次元官网网址�
Though PhillipsB次元官网网址� motives for stepping down were not controversial, his initial tenure as chair started off shaky, after previous board chair Wendy Hobbs due to not having the full support of the board.
A new board chair will be elected at this coming June 27 board meeting.
