BROCKVILLE – A trustee vacancy at the Upper Canada District School Board has been filled. Trustees elected Gananoque area-resident Todd Robertson to fill a vacancy left with the June resignation of Perth-area trustee Carole Dufort. Dufort resigned for health reasons.
The October 1 trustee election followed an open and public interview process with three shortlisted candidates: Robertson – a former provincial civil servant, Meena Mullur – current chief administrative officer for the Township of North Dundas, and Bill MacPherson – the former Ward 2 trustee who Dufort defeated in the 2022 trustee elections.
The shortlisted candidates answered questions from board members about governance, knowledge of the UCDSB’s director’s work plan, and why the candidates wanted to serve as a trustee.
During his interview, Robertson said he comes from a line of public servants, had an extensive over thirty year career as a public servant, and had the time to serve in the role.
In a brief statement following the vote and Robertson’s swearing in, he told the board, “I look forward to working with everyone collaboratively for the remainder of the term.”
Robertson will serve the balance of the 2022-26 term of office, approximately 13 months.
He was one of 10 applicants for the position. Despite the interview process for shortlisted candidates being public, UCDSB officials said the board would not release a list of the 10 people who applied for the position.
This is the third trustee that has been replaced by the UCDSB. The board selected John Danaher as Ward 7 Trustee (Dundas County) following the resignation of Larry Berry in 2023, and Elizabeth Stienberg as Ward 9 Trustee (Stormont and Glengarry Counties) following the resignation of Curtis Jordan in May 2025.
Trustee elections for the 2026-30 term are set for October 2026, however that may change depending on the Ministry of Education. Paul Calandra, minister for the portfolio, is reviewing the role of trustees and possible reforms to how trustee boards exist.
Discover more from Morrisburg Leader
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.