BROCKVILLE – Upper Canada District School Board trustees selected the replacement trustee for Ward 9 (Stormont-Glengarry) at their May 14 meeting.
Elizabeth Steinberg was voted in to fill the vacancy left by the resignation Curtis Jordan in March. She is a former teacher with the UCDSB, with a background in special education, and briefly served in administration. After retiring from the board, Steinberg taught at Algonquin College, and volunteered in her community. She is from the Smiths Falls area.
Steinberg was one of three candidates shortlisted for interviews by the board’s selection committee during the open-session of the trustee meeting.
Ryan MacKay, who finished in second place in the 2022 trustee elections in Ward 8 (Cornwall) and is an administrator at Carleton University, and Katherine Wells, who serves on the UCDSB’s Special Education Advisory Committee, and is Director of Government Relations and Corporate Strategies for the City of Cornwall were the other two candidates short listed. The board did not reveal the number of candidates who applied.
The trustee selection process was overseen by board Vice Chair Lynda Johnston, as board Chair Jamie Schoular declared a conflict of interest in the process and did not join the meeting until after the election had concluded.
“At the outset of the trustee vacancy process, the chair informed the secretary of a familial connection to one of applicants and consequently he declared a conflict of interest and recused himself from the proceedings,” the vice chair told the board.
“As a result, I was asked to assume the role of chair and have done so throughout the entirety of this process including tonight’s meeting.”
During the interview portion of the meeting, Steinberg said her interest in becoming a trustee was a “life-long interest.”
“I happen to be born into a family where our business is education,” Steinberg said. “My parents were educators, and a lot of my relatives were educators. When I was growing up, at family dinners the conversation invariably turned to education and lifelong learning. So as a child, I heard a lot about that, and became very interested in education and all aspects of education.”
Newly-selected Trustee Steinberg and current Board Chair Schoular are siblings.
Steinberg was sworn in as trustee immediately after the secret ballot vote was taken.
“Congratulations Trustee Steinberg, and welcome to the board table,” Chair Schoular said after joining the board meeting. “We look forward to your involvement and once again welcome.”
This is the second trustee replacement selection that the UCDSB has had to complete this term. In May 2023, Ward 7 Trustee Larry Berry (Dundas) resigned for health reasons. Former Ward 9 trustee John Danaher was selected as replacement.
Steinberg will serve out the remainder of the 2022-26 trustee term, ending in November 2026.
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