It may be helpful to know about my experiences prior to becoming a Trustee in 2022.

Following my retirement from the Superintendency, I served as a consultant specializing in education leadership and governance, executive search, mediation, contract negotiation, and investigations, including harassment, and evaluation of senior education staff. Prior to my work as a consultant I was Superintendent of Schools and CEO for twelve years in School District 63 Saanich in British Columbia. During that time I had a fifteen month secondment to the BC Public School Employers Association, and, while active as a superintendent, served for two years as President of the BC School Superintendents Association. I also served as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Victoria Faculty of Education post-graduate program, and from 2018 to 2021 served as Superintendent of Schools for School District 69 Qualicum.

I am trained in mediation, negotiation and conflict resolution through the Justice Institute of British Columbia. I was also trained and certified in 2016 by the Mediation Training Institute of Eckerd College as a mediator and facilitator of mediation training. I have a B.Ed and an M.Ed from the University of Victoria and an Ed.D doctoral degree from Brigham Young University.

I am always happy to talk about effective governance.  I lived this experience as a Superintendent of Schools where my key work included supporting best governance practices, building leadership development programs. I also served as an adjunct professor at UVic where I taught post-graduate programs in leadership and change.  I have a longtime interest and considerable experience in supporting Boards of Education in being at their best in governance, and in the relationship between a board and senior staff.

I utilize a highly effective model for executive search, and have proven successful experience in evaluation or performance appraisal of senior education staff, including in challenging contexts. I am also an experienced and trained investigator.

This background, plus my experience on the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board, where I was Chair of the Governance Committee, provided a strong base for the work I have done as a Trustee since 2022, and hope to continue doing beyond the 2026 election.

Please call me at 1-250-415-2546 if you want to discuss this or my candidacy in general, or reach out by email at keven@kevenelder.ca.