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OSSTF District 11- Thames Valley
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District 11 Office |
District President's Memo
April 7, 2006
Letter to District 11 Members |
I am writing to inform you of a very recent development in my career.
Just prior to March Break, the OSSTF provincial executive put out a job posting for three new Executive Assistants, two for the Educational Services Department and one for the Protective Services Department. The two positions in the Educational Services Department are resulting from two retirements, and the portfolios of the individuals retiring encompass areas in which I have become very much involved throughout my almost four years in the District Office: certification, teacher education, adult education, and curriculum/education issues. Because of my keen interest and work in these areas, I decided to apply for one of the positions.
Early last week, I received a phone call from Rod Albert, the General Secretary, informing me that I and seven other applicants had been short-listed and our interviews would take place on April 5 and 6. My interview was on April 6, and later that afternoon, the General Secretary called me back to say that I was one of the successful candidates, and that the other two new Executive Assistants will be Marc Robillard of District 10 Lambton-Kent and Peter Tumey of District 13. All three of us will begin our new positions on August 1 of this year.
This means, of course, that I will be taking a leave from the board for 2006-2007 during which I will serve my probationary year as an Executive Assistant. This also means that I must resign, effective July 1, from my position as the Teachers’ Bargaining Unit President, and that I will not be seeking re-election as the District President. The Nominations Committee has already been informed and they will be bringing a proposal to the Teachers’ Bargaining Unit Executive meeting on Wednesday April 12 to deal with reopening nominations for the position of Teachers’ Bargaining Unit President.
While I am still “on cloud 9" and very excited about this new position, I do have very mixed feelings about leaving District 11 in particular, and the Thames Valley District School Board in general. I am very proud of the work that we all do together here in the office and on the various bargaining unit executives and committees, and I appreciate the support of the bargaining units and the district in allowing me the opportunity to serve the membership in various capacities over the years. I will be sad not to be working with you and directly for District 11 once my new position begins.
I do not yet know what my portfolio of responsibilities will contain, nor what my field district assignments will be, but I am looking forward to serving the members of the province as a whole. I also look forward to working in the same building with my husband, Joe, for the first time since before we were married. If we are lucky, we may even get to drive in to work together occasionally or have lunch together from time to time.
In the meantime, while I wait for my new position to begin, I will still be here in District 11 working hard for the members of this district and will work with the incoming President, once elected, in order to ensure a smooth transition.
In solidarity,
Wendy Anes Hirschegger
