DDSB Board of Trustees Announce Appointment of Two New Trustees

Posted On Monday June 20, 2022
Kate Bird
Trustee Bird

Following interviews that occurred on June 16, 2022, the Durham District School Board (DDSB)’s Board of Trustees appointed Kate Bird to the role of Trustee, replacing former Trustee Patrice Barnes and Linda Lowery to the role of Trustee, replacing former Trustee Linda Stone for the remainder of the 2018-2022 term, ending on November 14, 2022. 

Quote: 

“On behalf of the DDSB’s Board of Trustees, we wish to sincerely thank everyone that put their name forward to serve their community. We are pleased to welcome Kate Bird and Linda Lowery to the Board of Trustees as we complete the 2018-2022 term. We look forward to working collaboratively with them to continue advancing the Board’s important work over the next five months.” - Chair Carolyn Morton  

Quick Facts: 

  • Two Trustee vacancies occurred in May and June 2022 due to resignations.
  • The vacancy notice was advertised widely, and the Board sought applications from qualified individuals. All candidates were given the opportunity to speak about their qualifications and desire to be appointed in a public meeting, Trustees voted to determine the successful candidate for each vacancy.
  • The new Trustees completed their Declaration of Office/Oath of Allegiance at the start of the regular Board Meeting held on June 20, 2022. 

Biographies: 

Kate Bird:  

Kate Bird is an accomplished and dynamic leader and community builder with over 25 years of senior leadership experience both in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. She has been recognized as the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, Whitby Woman of the Year, one of Canada’s Top Women Business Owners for many years, and more. Kate currently is the Executive Director of a charity providing housing with supports to people who are experiencing homelessness, and she was previously the Executive Director of the Community Development Council Durham and CEO of WindReach Farm. 

Kate is a Certified Teacher by training and is currently a Director on the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association Board. She has also served as an Ajax Library Board Trustee and is a member of the Local Diversity and Immigration Partnership Council.  She is an active volunteer with numerous charities and has had two children graduate from the French Immersion stream at the Durham District School Board.  

In her spare time, Kate enjoys spending time with her family, live music, Dragon Boat racing, cooking and fostering Retired Racing Greyhounds. 

Linda Lowery:  

Linda Lowery has a long history with Durham District School Board as both a former employee and trustee. For 23 years, she was the Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Coordinator for the DDSB where she worked extensively with the community and participated in numerous District committees, including the Partnership Committee and Child Abuse Prevention Committee. Among other initiatives, she was the founding Chair for 11 years of Racing Against Drugs Durham, the chairperson of a district committee on bullying prevention and the lead researcher and author of the Board’s past ‘Imagine Bully-free Schools’ and ‘Be Aware…Be Safe’ (violence prevention) resources.   

Linda left her career in the fall of 2010 to continue to care for her son who suffered a Catastrophic Brain Injury in October 2008. In 2015, her family launched a community mobilization, Heads Up! Durham, dedicated to shining a light on the prevention of traumatic brain injuries. 

When Trustee Larry Jacula sadly passed away in March 2017, she was appointed to serve as Oshawa Trustee until the next election in 2018. 

Attachments: Photo of newly appointed Trustees Kate Bird and Linda Lowery 

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) is responsible for public education in the rural settings of Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships and the urban settings of Ajax, Whitby, Pickering, and Oshawa. The DDSB employs 7,000 teaching and educational services staff. With 136 elementary and secondary schools and learning centres, the DDSB accommodates more than 75,000 regular day students and thousands more who take advantage of a wide variety of continuing education and adult credit courses. More information can be found on the DDSB’s website at ddsb.ca. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ddsbschools, Instagram @ddsbschools and YouTube at DurhamDSB

 

For more information, contact: 

Stephanie Aylesworth 
Communications Specialist 
Durham District School Board 
905.666.6136 
stephanie.aylesworth@ddsb.ca