The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) has moved to stabilize its leadership by appointing two new trustees to fill temporary vacancies. The decision was made during a special board meeting held on Monday, December 16, 2025.
New Trustees Selected After Rigorous Process
Cheryl Lovell will represent the communities of Leamington and Pelee Island, while Chandrika Abhang will take on the role for LaSalle and Amherstburg. The two successful candidates were chosen from a pool of ten applicants who each underwent a formal interview process with the sitting trustees.
The board posed three key questions to each candidate during the interviews. These focused on the trustee's role in enhancing student achievement and well-being, how to handle constituent complaints such as changes to transportation eligibility, and their commitment to supporting Indigenous education, anti-racism initiatives, and equity and inclusion within the school system.
Backgrounds of the New Appointees
Cheryl Lovell brings extensive experience in local education to the table. Her application highlighted a 33-year career as a retired teacher with the GECDSB, primarily in elementary schools within Amherstburg and LaSalle. She also has prior trustee experience, having served for twelve years on the same board before not being re-elected in 2018. Lovell has additionally held the position of director for the Ontario Public School Boards Association.
Chandrika Abhang offers a different but valuable perspective. Her professional background is in the automotive industry, where she has worked as a director of global strategy and partnerships and formerly as a director of research and development. Abhang holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University. She has also served on the board of WEtech Alliance in 2023-24 and was a board member for the Sheboygan Theatre Company in Wisconsin.
Filling the Gaps and Looking Ahead
The newly appointed trustees were scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday afternoon, December 17, ahead of the board's regular evening meeting. Their appointments fill seats left empty following the resignations of two long-serving trustees. Ron LeClair, who represented Amherstburg and LaSalle, stepped down in October 2025. Nancy Armstrong, the trustee for Leamington and Pelee Island, resigned in November 2025.
These positions are temporary appointments. The next municipal school board election, where all trustee positions will be contested, is set to occur in just under a year, in late 2026. The appointments ensure continued representation for the affected communities during the interim period.
