Bluewater District School Board is pleased to announce three new appointments to its senior leadership team. A warm welcome is extended to Sheryl Elliott, Andrea Tang, and Keith Lefebvre, each of whom will assume the position of Superintendent of Education.
The appointments are part of the board’s succession planning and cultivation of future leadership, and coincide with the upcoming retirements of Superintendents of Education Cynthia Lemon, Wendy Kolohon, and Paul Hambleton.
Sheryl Elliott, whose position is effective November 11, 2020, has served in Bluewater as a teacher and leader for almost 30 years. Having grown up and attended schools in Bruce County, Sheryl was pleased to begin her teaching career in Chesley and later Kincardine, where her focus areas included French, special education, student success, and guidance. As an administrator, she was a vice-principal at Kincardine District Secondary (now Senior) School and principal at Walkerton District Community School. Her system level responsibilities have ranged from human resources, equity, and organizational health and wellness, to French and Indigenous education.
Andrea Tang, who begins the position on November 30, 2020, began teaching in Bluewater in 1994 in Flesherton and later Meaford. This eventually led to her transition into a vice-principal role at Grey Highlands Secondary School, followed by the former West Hill Secondary School and Owen Sound Collegiate Vocational Institute. She also served as a principal for almost a decade at Grey Highlands Secondary School prior to her recent move into the system position of Learning Services Administrator, where she assisted with the establishment of remote school for secondary students. Her education experience includes many aspects of school management and initiatives to improve student achievement at the secondary level, and staff mentorship for emerging leaders, to name a few.
Keith Lefebvre, whose new role takes effect December 14, 2020, started his career in local public education in 1995 with the former Bruce County Board of Education. His experience has included teaching positions in Wiarton and Chesley before becoming an administrator, where he served as a principal at Beaver Valley Community, Holland-Chatsworth Central, the former Sydenham Community, and Hillcrest Elementary schools. For the past 14 months, he has worked at the system level supporting school administrators and teachers with the integration of technology into the classroom, eLearning, the transition to online learning this past spring, and most recently, as a co-principal of the remote school.
“I am thrilled to welcome Sheryl, Andrea, and Keith to our senior team, and look forward to the leadership experience, knowledge, and skills that they will bring to their new roles as they help to shape an exciting path forward for Bluewater,” says Director of Education Lori Wilder. “During this time of transition, there is also bitter sweetness as we bid farewell to our departing superintendents, while congratulating them on their well-deserved retirements. Cynthia, Wendy, and Paul will be deeply missed, and we are so thankful for their many wonderful years of support and service to our students, staff, and families.”
Each of the incoming superintendents will be responsible for providing leadership and support to an area of schools, in addition to managing a broad portfolio of system duties.
source: media release, BWDSB
