CENTRE WELLINGTON – While municipal election campaigning has been ongoing for months, two Centre Wellington school board trustee candidates haven’t had to worry about a challenger because they don’t have one.
Marina Hanenberg and Andrew Finoro have been acclaimed as trustees for the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) and the Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) respectively as nobody else put their names forward for the election before the deadline.
Hanenberg didn’t want it to be this way.
In an interview, she said she put her name forward to represent Centre Wellington as a trustee for the UGDSB as nobody had done so for the open position as current trustee Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy is running for township council.
“I thought for sure if I did, somebody else would and well that didn’t happen,” Hanenberg said. “I’m a little disappointed that democracy was somewhat compromised there but I know that I will do a good job. I’ll do it to the best of my abilities. That’s all I can really do I guess.”
This will be her first term as a trustee which she acknowledged is a bit outside her wheelhouse as a woodworker.
“For me it will be a very steep learning curve,” Hanenberg said, although adding she is positive she can do a good job.
Finoro doesn’t have a learning curve ahead for him with the upcoming term being his third and years of experience before as a teacher, principal and administrator at the WCDSB.
While he always prepares for an election, Finoro said in an interview he isn’t particularly bothered by being acclaimed and hoped it meant people approve of the job he’s done over the last eight years representing Centre Wellington, Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North.
“I bring to the table a lot of educational experiences and I think people that I know and have worked with them in Elora, Fergus, Arthur and Mount Forest they know that and I guess they trust that I’ll make the right decisions based on my character,” Finoro said.
Both candidates have different priorities for the next four years.
Hanenberg wondered if a lack of others willing to run had anything to do with a lack of knowledge of what a trustee does or how the board functions.
“Moving forward, I would work on transparency and communication just to educate people as far as what is happening,” Hanenberg said.
She also wants to see all students see achievement regardless of their interests and abilities.
“Not everybody is going to be an academic and not everybody is going to be a track star, it’s not about being the biggest or the best,” Hanenberg said.
“It’s about unlocking the potential in each student. I got a peak at the new multi-year plan, it’s very bold, it is putting a lot of things forward and I look forward to finding creative ways to put those ideas into action.”
While Finoro also wants all students to achieve, he noted the board’s motto has always been “faith in education” and is focused on that alongside the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations document.
“That is a real focal point for me and for a lot of Catholic educators as to how that is one document that can easily be integrated into our faith as to who we are when it comes to teaching our kids,” Finoro said.
The WCDSB trustee also said he wanted to see technology used as a tool for learning but warned teachers not to use it “as a crutch” in an increasingly digital world.
Both mentioned looking forward to working with the other trustees and are hoping for a diverse number of views at their respective tables.
