Trustee elected vice chair at York catholic school board

(From L) New board of trustees Director of Education Patricia Preston; Trustee Theresa McNicol; Student Trustee Natasha Iaboni; Trustee Ann Stong; Trustee Vice Chair Marlene Mogado; Trustees Carol Cotton and Dominic Mazzotta; His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins; Trustee Dino Giuliani; Trustee Chair Elizabeth Crowe; Trustees Teresa Ciaravella, Cathy Ferlisi and Maria Marchese; and Student Trustee Joe McLeod.

In a historic vote a FilCan school trustee has become the first vice chair from a cultural minority at the York Catholic District School Board in Ontario.

Trustee Marlene Mogado was her peers’ unanimous choice for the office of vice chair at the YCDSB inaugural meeting held at the Catholic Education Centre in Aurora on Dec. 2.

Having won her third term at the Ontario local elections in October, Mogado was cited for her excellent leadership and performance at YCDSB as Catholic School Trustee for Markham City Area 2- Wards 4,5,7 and 8.

In nominating her, fellow Markham Trustee Carol Cotton said, “Trustee Mogado has served the Markham communities diligently and always maintained a board-wide perspective as decisions were made at the board table.”

“Our board can be confident that Trustee Mogado will continue to approach all aspects of her work with integrity, inclusivity and the intention of putting students first in all that we do,” Trustee Cotton said.

Mogado thanked her fellow trustees and said that she looks forward to working with them and the staff to ensure a successful year. “After eight years of hard work, it is humbling for me to be voted vice-chair of the YCDSB and to be entrusted with this responsibility,” she added.

Later, she confirmed she is the first in the history of YCDSB to be voted vice chair of the board from the cultural minorities. “In the context of Catholic teachings from church and the values of equality and inclusivity that we teach in school, this is perhaps the most significant act the board has undertaken to do what it preaches,” she said.

The trustees were sworn in following a Eucharistic celebration officiated by Thomas Cardinal Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Cardinal Collins was appointed as honorary chair of the Board for the four-year term, and Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick was appointed as the board’s honorary trustee.

The York Catholic District School Board is the third largest Catholic Board in Ontario. It is made up of 10 elected trustees, and two non-voting student trustees. It delivers educational programming to over 55,000 students in 104 schools throughout the Regional Municipality of York with an annual budget of over $600M.