TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) is pleased to announce the appointment of W.R. (Rusty) Hick as the Association’s new Executive Director. Mr. Hick will succeed Gail Anderson who is retiring from the role in July after a rewarding career in public education.
Rusty Hick brings to OPSBA outstanding experience in the world of public education. He enjoyed a successful teaching career with the York Region District School Board before joining the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as a principal in 1999. For the next five years he held several key Superintendent positions with the Board and since 2009, he has served as their Director of Education– the longest serving Director in the Board’s history.
As Director, Rusty Hick believes strongly that student and organizational success are the direct result of collaborative relationships with all partners in the education of young people: parents, staff and community, and that these relationships are the foundation for student achievement and shared accomplishment.
“I am honoured to become the new Executive Director for OPSBA and to be joining their talented team,” said Rusty Hick. “I look forward to advancing the work of the Association and advocating on behalf of the best interests and needs of a strong public education school system in the province.”
A proud graduate of the Ontario public education system, Mr. Hick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto; a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen’s University, and a Master of Science in Education from Niagara University. He successfully completed the Ontario Supervisory Officer Executive Program through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
He has written on system leadership and presented at conferences across Canada on educational issues. He also has extensive, firsthand experience with public education labour relations and provincial negotiations and has worked closely with trustees from across the province, OPSBA staff, the Crown, the Ministry of Education, and other trustee associations.
“Rusty Hick has always exercised a spirit of collaboration working with various education sector partners,” said Laurie French, OPSBA President. “He is the ideal candidate to lead the Association and we are confident he will continue to build on OPSBA’s very strong foundation and leadership team which has been firmly established by our outgoing Executive Director, Gail Anderson.”
Rusty Hick will join OPSBA on June 1, 2017 to assume the role of Executive Director following OPSBA’s Annual General Meeting.
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The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association represents public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario, which together serve more than 1.2 million public elementary and secondary students. The Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. OPSBA is seen as the credible voice of public education in Ontario and is routinely called on by the provincial government for input and advice on legislation and the impact of government policy directions.
For more information and/or photos, please contact:
May Moore
Associate Director of Communication
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association
mmoore@opsba.org
(416) 340-2540, ext. 104
www.opsba.org
