WRDSB Trustees

Scott Piatkowski

Role: Chairperson
Municipality: Waterloo / Wilmot
Phone: 519-577-2554
Email: scott_piatkowski@wrdsb.ca

In October 2018, I was honoured to have been chosen by the voters of Waterloo and Wilmot Township to represent them on the Waterloo Region District School Board. In December 2021, after serving for a year as Vice-Chair, I was acclaimed by my Trustee colleagues as Chairperson of the Board, which is an equally great honour.

I currently serve on the following committees:

Agenda Development
Director’s Performance Appraisal
Discipline
French Immersion Review Ad Hoc
Waterloo Education Foundation Inc. (WEFI) Board of Directors

Previously, I served on the School Resource Officer Review Ad Hoc Committee, the Suspension Review Ad Hoc Committee (as Co-Chair), and the Trustee Code of Conduct Review Committee. I also sit as the WRDSB’s Voting Delegate and Alternate Director for the Ontario Public School Boards Association, and previously served on OPSBA’s Policy Development Work Team.

I’m a proud graduate of both Eastwood Collegiate and Wilfrid Laurier University, and the proud parent/step-parent of four KCI graduates.

In my professional life, I work for a national non-governmental organization that promotes the growth and sustainability of affordable housing communities across Canada. I have also served as the Vice-President of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada and as a volunteer facilitator with the Co-operative Young Leaders program.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ScottPiatkowski, on Facebook as Scott Piatkowski, WRDSB Trustee, or at the email and phone numbers provided above.

View correspondence sent on behalf of the Chairperson of the Board of the Trustees.

Kathleen Woodcock

Role: Vice-Chair
Municipality: Waterloo / Wilmot
Phone: 226-929-3101
Email: kathleen_woodcock@wrdsb.ca

I am honoured to be elected for a fifth term as Trustee for Waterloo/Wilmot. During my years on the Board, I have actively participated as a member of a variety of standing, statutory and ad hoc committees including strategic planning, audit, agenda development, superintendent selection, school year calendar and fiscal review task force. I have served as WRDSB chair, vice-chair and past chair. I believe in putting students first and ensuring that schools provide a safe, inclusive learning environment so students can achieve their full potential. As the WRDSB continues to implement the strategic plan, I look forward to engaging with stakeholders on issues that impact our students and school communities. I believe in a strong public education system that is the cornerstone of democracy. I have experienced an excellent public education system, starting in a one-room schoolhouse many years ago. My children have also experienced and benefited from a public education. It is exciting to watch my grandchildren as they experience their public education. As a trustee, having the opportunity to be involved in the ongoing success of kids in Waterloo Region and to celebrate their achievements in school and in life allows me to give back to my community.

I have lived in Waterloo Region since 1975, the last 30+ years in Westvale. I am a graduate of WLU (MSW 2003, BA 1978). I am retired from the Community Services Department with the City of Kitchener. I am an associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 113, Dresden, an avid gardener, an ‘enthusiastic’ golfer, and a proud mother and grandmother.

Jayne Herring

MUNICIPALITY: Cambridge / North Dumfries
PHONE: 519-240-3613
EMAIL: jayne_herring@wrdsb.ca

I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees in support of quality public education and the Board’s Strategic Plan and Operational Goals. It was my pleasure to have worked for the WRDSB for 31 years retiring in November 2017. I was employed as a Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools, the Office Manager at Glenview Park Secondary School and finally as Manager of Corporate Services. I am proud to be the first support staff member to be elected as a WRDSB Trustee and Chairperson of the Board. One of my goals is to meet and visit students and staff in their schools and I hope to have the opportunity to visit all schools in Cambridge and North Dumfries. I will be using social media as a tool to communicate and update parents and the community and I look forward to hearing from you. Please follow me on Twitter @CambridgeJayne, on Facebook as Trustee Jayne Herring, or at the email and phone numbers provided above.

Karen Meissner

MUNICIPALITY: Woolwich / Wellesley
PHONE: 519-591-2825
EMAIL: karen_meissner@wrdsb.ca

I am proud to serve the Woolwich and Wellesley communities as your trustee at the Waterloo Region District School Board. It is my belief that students in the WRDSB deserve the best education and experience we can possibly give them. We need to not only provide education in core subjects, but teach them to better understand the world around them. They deserve a safe and inclusive environment to learn, and access to every resource we can offer. As an active member of my children’s school council and regular classroom volunteer, I see teachers, staff and students working together. I see occasional struggles and I see inspiring moments. I’m both a fundraiser and volunteer for Kate’s Kause – a charitable organization committed to Angelman Syndrome awareness and inclusive community projects. I am the proud aunt of Kate, who inspires me with her strength, voice, and her focus on enjoying life -something we all could use more of. I’m a regular volunteer with The Business Education Partnership, KW Multicultural Centre and a member of Equal Voice Waterloo Region.

I’m a small business owner in Elmira where I live with my family. I work as a professional photographer and I photograph children and the people who love them. I also collaborate with small businesses to create photographs that connect with their customers. In my free time, I enjoy cycling, reading, and meeting & collaborating with new people. I love spending time with my husband and three children. We enjoy getting muddy on outdoor adventures, riding our bikes in the beautiful, rural communities of Woolwich and Wellesley, and watching movies together while cuddling in our pyjamas.

Carol Millar

MUNICIPALITY: Waterloo / Wilmot
PHONE: 519-635-9257
EMAIL: carol_millar@wrdsb.ca

I am proud and excited to be representing Waterloo/Wilmot as a School Board Trustee for a second term. I am a retired Public Health Nurse who has had the pleasure of working in our schools as a school nurse for over 30 years. I am a graduate of the Waterloo Region District School Board as are my husband and children. I then graduated from UWO with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. As my children were attending school, I was an involved member of their school councils as well as WRAPSC.

I am passionate about and value education, educators, youth and my community. In my first term as a Trustee, I focused my attention on Student Voice, Equity and Inclusion, Student and Staff Wellness as well assisting parents in navigating our school system. I will continue to listen and represent the community and advocate for the issues and concerns that are brought to my attention.

As a Trustee, I cannot act alone. The board must work together as a team and I commit to lead by example with open communication, collaboration and adaptability with the clear goal of always putting students first. I am someone who is open to new insights, learning and ideas. I promise to be prepared for what this job entails and to listen without judgment or bias.

Mike Ramsay

MUNICIPALITY: Kitchener
PHONE: 519-502-8449
EMAIL: mike_ramsay@wrdsb.ca

I have served as a Trustee since 1989, not because of what I could gain but for what I could give. Having served the Canadian public for over 35 years as a soldier, police officer, public servant, trustee and a community volunteer, I have gained a variety of valuable knowledge and experience that I believe helps me to make sound decisions as a trustee. My story is not uncommon. I immigrated to Canada in my early teens and soon found myself living on my own while trying to get an education and make something of myself. The dedicated staff of Kitchener Collegiate Institute invested in me and this helped form the foundation for my successes in life. They put my interests ahead of their own and taught me that it was my responsibility to pay it forward. That’s why I serve you as a trustee. While I always aim to strike a balance that meets everyone’s needs, student and public interest are my priority governing all of my decisions as a trustee. The decisions made by trustees today can affect an entire generation; they need to be the right decisions for the right reasons.

Kathi Smith

MUNICIPALITY: Kitchener
PHONE: 519-502-8656
EMAIL: kathi_smith@wrdsb.ca

I am a passionate advocate for children and youth and for their parents. This is what brought me to my involvement with public education even before I was a trustee. We have a responsibility as a society to provide each student with an excellent education to assist them to be the best that they can be. Trustees are the local connection to speak up for the students in their community and challenge the provincial government to remember we are here for kids. We are fortunate to have outstanding and committed staff who provide quality education to our students. Our challenge is to make sure that we represent the community in which we live – we need to inspire entrepreneurship and innovation; be equitable and inclusionary in all that we do. We always have to strive to be better, do better so that we provide the very best education to each and every student.

Laurie Tremble

MUNICIPALITY: Kitchener
PHONE: 519-503-1051
EMAIL: laurie_tremble@wrdsb.ca

I would like to thank the Kitchener community and my fellow trustees for their support and look forward to working with them to support each and every student in the WRDSB. I am passionate about public education. I believe all children have the right to learn and reach their full potential in a safe, caring environment and I believe that staff, families and the community are an integral part of student success and well-being.

I was born and raised in Kitchener and am a proud graduate of the WRDSB and Wilfrid Laurier University. I have two sons attending WRDSB schools. For over 10 years, I have been a committed volunteer with WRDSB schools, school councils and various board committees. I was proud to serve as the co-chair of the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Waterloo Region Assembly of Public School Councils (WRAPSC) for a number of years.

My husband is a small-business owner in the community and also a native of Kitchener. After many years as a stay-at-home mom, I now work with my husband in his flooring business. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, spending time with family and friends, travelling and watching my boys play hockey.

Cindy Watson

MUNICIPALITY: Cambridge / North Dumfries
PHONE: 519-503-0927
EMAIL: cindy_watson@wrdsb.ca

I believe in servant leadership and doing my best to “treat others the way I would like to be treated”. I consistently bring constituents concerns forward at the board table. As an elected representative I believe that it is a privilege and an honour to serve constituents. I am a strong advocate of student, parent and staff involvement and engagement. I support the use of surveys, focus groups and participation on committees which contribute to meaningful discussion and input. I believe boards make better policy when students, parents and staff are involved in the decisions making process.

According to the Education Act the board is responsible for the academic performance and well-being of students. Ultimate success is demonstrated by students who achieve their full potential, students with disabilities are given the best support, parents are treated as partners and encouraged to participate in their child’s education, and staff that have been given adequate resources and feel supported. When these are in alignment and unified everyone is successful, and students realize their full potential.

Boards that are progressive generate new and creative ideas and solutions by demonstrating a culture of freedom. Freedom that allows the sharing of different ideas and opinions in a respectful manner, realizing that “everyone” plays a part and no contribution is insignificant.

Joanne Weston

MUNICIPALITY: Kitchener
PHONE: 226-752-7781
EMAIL: joanne_weston@wrdsb.ca

It is my privilege and honour to serve as one of your Trustees on the Waterloo Region District School Board. I am the mother of a current WRDSB student and two recent graduates. I have lived, worked and volunteered in Waterloo Region for 25 years: currently residing in Kitchener and working in the post-secondary education sector. Prior to being elected as a Trustee, I was a long-serving WRDSB volunteer where I advocated for programs that support student achievement and wellbeing, equity, and parent engagement. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees, families, staff and the community to help our students reach their full potential.

Crystal Whetham

MUNICIPALITY: Cambridge / North Dumfries
PHONE: 226-747-5174
EMAIL: crystal_whetham@wrdsb.ca

I am honoured to be one of your elected trustees for Cambridge/North Dumfries.

My roots in Waterloo region run deep. I started my education at Silverheights Public School, graduated from Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, and studied Broadcasting at Seneca College. My family history dates back over 200 years in Cambridge, which makes me extra proud to hold this position and help our littlest citizens flourish. I am a mother of two beautiful daughters who attend a local Cambridge school, and the youngest daughter of 7, which helps me to understand the large family dynamic. My first love will always be books with my favourite author being Wally Lamb. My other love is music. I am a classically trained Clarinetist and I hold my Grade 8 RCOM as well as Grade 4 in singing. I enjoy camping in the summer and getting back to basics in nature with a backpack, tent and the least of necessities.

I have spent my working career in the property management industry.

I am very excited for the next four years and the changes we will make as a board together to better our little citizen’s education.