November 16, 2020: The Canadian School Boards Association proudly announces that l’Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario – ACÉPO – has now joined CSBA as a full member.
ACÉPO serves the French-language public school boards in Ontario by promoting equitable access to French-language secular education. It also focuses on networking and coordination of French-language public school board trustees and advocating for adequate funding of schools, operations, and capital expenditures.
“We believe in ACÉPO’s values of respect, integrity, inclusion, and transparency as they preserve the right to French-language education in Ontario,” said CSBA President Laurie French. “We are enthused to partner with ACÉPO to achieve our common objectives.”
ACÉPO is led by President Denis Chartrand and Executive Director Isabelle Girard. Both serve on the CSBA Board of Directors.
Denis Chartrand
Denis Chartrand was elected President of ACÉPO on January 2017 and was re-elected for a fourth mandate in January 2020. He is committed to promoting and expanding French-language public education in Ontario to ensure that Francophone students across Ontario have equitable and inclusive access to high-quality French-language public education.
Elected for the first time in 1991, he is a trustee of Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO). During his 25 years as a school trustee, he was board vice-chair for seven years and board chair for 12 years and was re-elected as chair in December 2019.
“What motivates me is working to promote the francophone community and advocating for the rights of francophones, in order to build an increasingly effective education system and to provide all francophone students with the programs and services they need to reach their full potential.”
He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in engineering and worked as a port and coastal engineer in Vancouver, Tokyo, Quebec City, Moncton, and Ottawa before retiring.
Denis Chartrand’s community involvement goes back many years. He was awarded a Silver Trillium, the Ontario government’s award for service to the community, in addition to hospital and housing organizations.
Isabelle Girard
Isabelle Girard has served as Executive Director of Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario (ACÉPO) (Association of Public School Boards of Ontario) since late 2017.
After years working in the health sector, where she honed her skills in human and financial resources management, strategic planning and governance, she chose French-language public education for the next phase of her career. Since coming to ACÉPO, Isabelle Girard has focused in particular on government relations development with the Association and on the orderly conduct of the second round of negotiations for the 2019-2020 central collective agreements.
Isabelle Girard has a Bachelor’s degree in Translation as well as an MBA. Her past positions include Executive Director of Centres d’Accueil Héritage, French Language Health Services Coordinator for Ontario’s Central West Local Health Integration Network, and various management positions in the private sector, including at Heathmount A.E. Entertainment and Mars Canada.
A strong believer in the importance of getting involved in the community, Isabelle Girard is active on the board of directors of several Francophone community organizations and is a member of the Toronto Francophone Affairs Advisory Committee.
Learn more about ACÉPO, its team, and board of directors via www.ACÉPO.org.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake
Executive Director
902-456-5574
Leave a Reply