MARTENSVILLE — Following the Nov.13 election that saw new trustees elected in six of its 11 subdivisions, two incumbents have been chosen by their colleagues to lead the Prairie Spirit Board of Education as chair and vice-chair.
Subdivision 2 (Duck Lake, Hague and Rosthern) trustee Kate Kading was elected to her first term as the board chair, with no one else running against her. Kading has sat on the board since 2020.
Subdivision 9 (City of Martensville) trustee Kimberly MacLean was elected as vice-chair. MacLean first joined the Prairie Spirit board in December 2023 following a byelection.
The election of both positions occurred during an organizational meeting on Nov. 25. Because of the snowy weather conditions that closed schools throughout the division that day, the meeting was held online.
Kading said she was “absolutely honoured to have been acclaimed as the board chair,” noting that she previously served as the vice-chair for three years.
Interestingly, Kading said division staff had done digging into historical records and determined she would be the first female board chair in the history of Prairie Spirit, as well as the past boards that served this area before amalgamation.
Prior to her election, Kading worked as a communications professional for 25 years and also has extensive municipal government experience.
Kading indicated that she was looking forward to working with the new vice-chair, highlighting her background in the military as a non-commissioned member of the Canadian Navy for 16 years.
“With her … life experience, as well as what she’s done over the past year on the board, I’m really excited to be working with her as the vice-chair,” Kading said.
MacLean said she was excited to take on the role of vice-chair because she believes there are always opportunities to strengthen the division.
“Our goal is better communication, co-operation and collaboration to ensure families feel valued and heard,” MacLean said.
MacLean said her experience running a tasking section in the military, instructing peers at fleet training and serving as president of the mess committee on the HMCS Halifax helped prepare her for this role, adding that she also has a degree with a focus on human resources.
When asked about the makeup of the new Prairie Spirit board, Kading said, “We are really excited about the level of the skill and talent that is coming to us, and we are very happy that people are interested in local elections, because school boards are very important.”
Looking to the future, Kading said they are always dedicated to maintaining the division’s relationship with the ministry of education and both sides of the legislative assembly.
As a division with a 50/50 split between urban and rural schools, Prairie Spirit’s biggest ongoing challenge is addressing growing classroom complexities and the different needs within its schools, Kading indicated.
“This is something that is always at the front of our minds,” she said. “And the board, as well as our senior leadership team, is always striving for bigger and better for our students.”
