Holly Bilton was re-elected in the 2025 municipal election and this week she was selected as Chair of Chinook’s Edge School Division’s Board of Trustees.
The annual organizational meeting for CESD’s Board was held on Tuesday, November 4th. Bilton is thrilled to be part of the Board again and hopes she can do her fellow trustees justice for electing her as Chair for the 2025-2026 school calendar. The new Board was officially sworn in prior to the vote.
Bilton points out that long before some of the labour unrest for teachers in the province was happening, the main goals for Chinook’s Edge have been classroom complexity, and making sure kids are well and their staff is well. She says “as well as career connections and academic excellence. So I think that we are going to continue to stay that course and we just know we have to continue to ask our teachers, and our support staff and our staff what they need and try to find the best ways to get that for them.”
She was asked if there was a message the Board has to pass along to the public at this time. Bilton says “I think we just wish everybody a wonderful rest of the school year. It has got off to a bit of a rough start, we understand that but we are so happy to have the incredible families and the kids that we have. We are incredibly fortunate to have the teachers and the support staff that we have at Chinook’s Edge. I think we truly have a great organization and amazing people.”
The group of nine trustees includes six who were re-elected and there are three newcomers – Janine Waldo in Ward 1 – Sylvan Lake, Kelly Anne Jobs in Ward 2 – Penhold, and Kathy Williams in Ward 8 – Didsbury. Bilton says “all three come with a definite passion for education and wanting to see what’s best for kids. So I think I really look forward to getting to know them better, as does the rest of the Board, and just starting to mesh as a Board and understand our goals.”
Bilton has been the Ward 4 Trustee since 2013 and this is the sixth consecutive year that she has been elected as Board Chair. De Anne Hutchison – the Ward 3 – Delburne/Elnora trustee – was elected as Vice Chair again as well.
Bilton was preceded as Board Chair by Allan Tarnoczi (Ward 6 – Sundre) in 2019-2020 and before that by long-time Chair Colleen Butler (Ward 4 – Delburne/Elnora) from 2010-2011 to 2018-2019.
