The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) is moving swiftly to fill two unexpected vacancies on its trustee board, with interviews scheduled for ten hopeful applicants this Tuesday.
Seeking to Fill Sudden Departures
The board is looking to replace two trustees who resigned mid-term. Longtime trustee Ron LeClair, who represented schools in Amherstburg and LaSalle, stepped down in October. He is joined by first-term trustee Nancy Armstrong, who represented the Leamington and Pelee Island area, and resigned in November.
This special selection process comes with roughly a year remaining in the current board's term. The individuals chosen will serve as trustees until the next scheduled municipal election in October 2026.
A Diverse Field of Applicants
The pool of ten candidates brings a wide array of professional and community experience to the table. Several are applying for both vacant positions, while others are focused on a specific area.
Applicants for both the Amherstburg/LaSalle and Leamington/Pelee Island trustee positions include:
- Nick Amlin: A former member of the Canadian Armed Forces and a Red Cross volunteer.
- Francine Salinitri: Spent two decades as a clinical professor at Wayne State University in Michigan, holding bachelor's degrees in education and science, a doctorate in pharmacy.
- Cheryl Lovell: A former board trustee and retired teacher with 33 years of experience at the GECDSB, primarily in Amherstburg and LaSalle schools.
- Beth St. Denis: Describes herself as a Christian woman with 20 years of executive business management experience.
- Salena Hamilton: Has a background in mathematics and has held analytical roles in the automotive industry.
- Neeraja Priyanka Annam: Holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology, with doctoral training in the U.S., a master's from Australia, and a Bachelor of Education from India. Has worked as a research associate at Wayne State University.
- Husam Morra: Has served on the University of Windsor senate and board of governors, and was president of finance and operations for the University of Windsor Students' Alliance.
Applying specifically for the Amherstburg/LaSalle trustee position are:
- Chandrika Abhang: An automotive industry director of global strategy and partnerships, formerly a director of R&D, with a master's in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University.
- Sherry Ducedre: A City of Windsor employee with 13 years of service on municipal committees of adjustment, and experience on council compensation committees for Amherstburg and Essex County.
- Marcin Pulcer: Applicant information was not available by the Windsor Star's press deadline on Monday.
A Pattern of Mid-Term Turnover
This will be the second and third time the current board has had to fill a vacancy between elections. In November 2024, trustee Sarah Cipkar resigned to focus on her growing business. She was replaced through a similar applicant-interview process by Malek Mekawi.
The board's special meeting on Tuesday will be dedicated to conducting candidate interviews and ultimately selecting the two new trustees. The decisions will shape the board's composition as it navigates the final year of its mandate.
