Local election guide: All school board trustee candidates running in Greater Victoria

School board trustees are often overlooked when it comes to local elections, as many voters are focused on figuring out who to vote for on council and for the mayor’s office. 

There are three school districts that overlap with Greater Victoria: the Greater Victoria School District (SD61), the Sooke School District (SD62) and the Saanich School District (SD63).

SD61 is divided into seven Trustee electoral areas (TEAs), with voters electing a total of nine  trustees. 

In SD62, there are only two zones where voters will be tasked with electing seven new trustees. 

Lastly, SD63 is comprised of four TEAs and also has seven total seats available for elected trustees. 

Below are all the candidates running for school board trustee in these three school districts:

Greater Victoria School District (SD61)

First, a bit about the zone structure of SD61. 

SD61 is split into seven zones, each with a designated number of seats available for the trustee candidates:

• TEA 1 – Esquimalt Nation (one trustee)
• TEA 2 – Songhees Nation (one trustee)
• TEA 3 – Highlands/View Royal (one trustee)
• TEA 4 – Esquimalt (one trustee)
• TEA 5 – Victoria (two trustees)
• TEA 6 – Saanich (two trustees)
• TEA 7 – Oak Bay (one trustee)

In total there are 24 candidates running for trustee in SD61’s jurisdiction. 

TEA 1 – Esquimalt Nation

There are two candidates from the Esquimalt Nation zone.

Chésa Abma-Slade is an (Xʷsepsəm) Esquimalt Nation member who lives in Victoria and works as a lawyer for an Indigenous law group. She has a long list of volunteer work supporting Indigenous students and working with the Esquimalt Nation. 

Rob Thomas is the second candidate in TEA 1. Thomas previously served as chief councillor and represented the Esquimalt Nation on boards such as the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA). He is the nephew of the late, long-serving hereditary Chief Andy Thomas (Seenupin), who led the Esquimalt Nation for 47 years before his passing in 2018.

TEA 2 – Songhees Nation 

There are three candidates in this trustee electoral area. 

Florence Dick is a member of the Songhees Nation and has served as a liaison officer between the Nation and the Capital Regional District. She has also served on the board of the GVHA. Her platform focuses on ensuring that public schools prioritize Indigenous student needs, diverse support structures and proper nutrition.

John Rice is a member and former councillor of the Songhees Nation. He is an active board member of the Lekwungen Charitable Society and has also been involved on the boards of multiple Indigenous-led economic entities, including Xhamasung Holdings and Matullia Holdings LP.

Diane Sam is an educator, cultural leader and Songhees Nation community member. She serves as the Community Engagement Manager at UVic’s First People’s House, is a lək̓ʷəŋiʔnəŋ language learner and former team leader of the Songhees Cultural Centre and is frequently called upon as a Songhees First Nation Elder. Her campaign focuses on bringing actual classroom experience, deep cultural knowledge and community engagement to the newly formatted board structure.

TEA 3 – Highlands/View Royal

There are two candidates running in this zone. 

Alexandra Bomphray is a View Royal resident and is running a campaign focused on local educational governance. She has regional labour and educational endorsements, including from the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association (GVTA) and the Victoria Labour Council (VLC). 

Sebastian Horabin is a 26-year-old journeyman electrician and small business owner who currently resides in Victoria. His campaign focuses on bringing practical trades training into schools, fiscal responsibility and keeping school police liaison officer programs in Victoria schools. 

TEA 4 – Esquimalt

For this trustee electoral area, there are just two candidates.

Gwynn Butchart is a resident of Esquimalt and identifies as non-binary. Butchart’s campaign is focused on the restructuring of the ward system which hasn’t seen an Esquimalt resident on the school board in decades. 

Andrew Gage is also an Esquimalt resident and works as an environmental lawyer. He is a parent of two children currently attending schools within the district and is an active member of the local Quaker community. His campaign focuses on safe and functional infrastructure, equity in resource allocation and rebuilding governance trust. 

TEA 5 – Victoria

There are eight candidates running in the Victoria zone, for which there are two available trustee seats. 

Maiya Beech is a licensed early childhood educator, parent and community organizer who is the only candidate running as part of the Victoria For All political slate. Their campaign focuses on building inclusive classrooms, expanding mental health support systems and preserving robust music and arts programming in public schools.

Angela Carmichael is the only incumbent school board trustee running for re-election this year. After being dismissed by the BC government and later reinstated by the courts, Carmichael stated she felt a duty to run again to directly address persistent issues regarding transparency, fiscal accountability and governance integrity. Prior to her election to the board in 2022, she served as a school PAC president and president of the Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (VCPAC). 

James Le is a licensed speech-language pathologist and labour delegate. He has worked as a speech therapist in schools throughout SD61 for years and currently works out of the Royal Jubilee Hospital. His campaign focuses on protecting frontline staff and expanding support structures for diverse learners.

Evan Llewellyn is a parent and has previously worked as a licensed early childhood educator (ECE) in Oaklands, an educational assistant (EA) within SD61 and a schoolteacher in Nunavut. His campaign focuses on board decision-making reform, accessible services and disability support and responsible technology and AI governance. 

Tanner May-Poole is a public servant and engineer whose wife is a public school teacher. He has two children attending district schools, and he currently serves as an active Parent Advisory Council (PAC) member. May-Poole’s campaign focuses on bringing more EAs back into classrooms, doubling out-of-school care and pushing for provincial funding reform. 

James McAllister is a Victoria resident running for school board trustee who does not have any publicly available information on his priorities in this election. 

Ken Waldron is also a Victoria resident who does not have any publicly available information on his campaign to be elected as an SD61 trustee. 

Ann Whiteaker has experience as an education advocate and previously served as SD61’s board chair and vice-chair. In past terms, she focused on board transparency and keeping parental groups and community stakeholders better informed. Before her time as a trustee, she served as the president of the VCPAC. 

TEA 6 – Saanich

There are four trustee candidates vying for the two available seats in the Saanich zone. 

Trevor Barry is a Saanich resident, parent, public servant and community organizer who previously served as the media spokesperson for middle school music parents in the district. He was motivated to run for trustee following the democratically elected board being replaced by the Province in an effort to restore local, transparent governance to the board. 

Darren Companion is a long-time educator, parent and Victoria resident running to be a Saanich-area trustee. He has spent 27 years working within the SD61 system as an educator, and has previously served on the board for the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association (GVTA). His focus in this election is on leveraging his experience as a former classroom teacher to build safer, more supportive learning spaces.

Tracy Humphreys is a community organizer, parent, public education advocate and Victoria resident running to be a Saanich-area trustee. She has over 28 years of experience navigating and organizing within the public school system as the former president of VCPAC. She has been an advocate for inclusive learning environments and a vocal supporter of the school police liaison program, publicly challenging the previous board’s decision to dissolve it.

Samantha Latham is a Saanich resident, professional caregiver and human resources specialist. She holds a master’s-level postgraduate certificate in education and is actively completing requirements to become a substitute teacher. Her campaign focuses on managing digital overreliance, inclusive and safe schools and strengthening community alliances. 

TEA 7 – Oak Bay

In the Oak Bay area, there are three candidates. 

James Chaney is an Oak Bay resident, healthcare worker, union steward and currently serves as president of the Oak Bay High School (PAC) and as vice president of the VCPAC. His focus is ensuring Oak Bay’s unique priorities are voiced on the board, implementing sustainable budget allocations, safeguarding essential programming and improving structural cooperation between parent groups, labour staff and school administrators. 

Piers MacDonald is an Oak Bay resident, software industry professional and parent who previously ran to become a trustee in 2022, but was unsuccessful in being elected. His campaign focuses on evidence-based governance, financial accountability, managing classroom technology and stabilizing the board. 

Andrea Mears is a labour negotiator, non-profit leader, parent and Victoria resident running to be an Oak Bay-area trustee. She has been endorsed by the GVTA and the VLC. Her priorities include implementing inclusive decision making, practical problem solving and systemic supports. 

Sooke School District (SD62)

SD62’s school board is comprised of seven trustees who are elected from two zones. 

Four trustees are to be elected from the Belmont Zone (Area 1), which includes Colwood, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin and a small number of properties that are in View Royal. 

Additionally, three trustees are to be elected from the Milnes Landing Zone (Area 2), which includes Sooke, and some from outside Sooke, but within the Capital Regional District. 

Notably, because there are only three candidates running for three seats in Area 2, the candidates will all be elected by acclamation. 

In total there are nine candidates running for trustee in SD62’s jurisdiction. 

Belmont Zone (Area 1)

There are six candidates for trustee in Area 1, and four seats available. 

Cendra Beaton is an incumbent school trustee, current board chair and Colwood resident running for re-election as trustee for SD62. She was first elected as a trustee in 2022 and had previously been active in the West Shore educational community since 2014. Her campaign focuses on responsible growth management, partner collaborations and provincial representation. 

Russ Chipps is an incumbent school trustee, Sooke resident, Indigenous leader and long-standing Chief of the Sc’ianew First Nation (Beecher Bay) who is running for re-election. He was first elected in 2022 and has focused heavily on collaborative governance and creating culturally safe learning environments.

Tom Davis is a Langford resident, longtime public education advocate and parent of two children currently attending schools within the district. He is entering his third consecutive term as the President of the Sooke Parents’ Education Advisory Council (SPEAC), serves as a member of the BC District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) and is a member of the BC School Facilities Committee. His priorities include opposing cutbacks to early learning and advocating for responsible growth planning, trades and alternative pathways and frontline support staff. 

Mike Manhas (Shupinder Manhas) is a Metchosin resident, teacher, parent and community organizer running for SD62 trustee. He has dedicated over two decades to public education, and has a background that blends classroom teaching with social work. His focus is to prioritize mental health and staff burnout, advocate for classroom safety and facility management and implement budget accountability. 

Mattie McMillan is a Metchosin resident, policy scientist and governance consultant who entered the race at the last-minute, preventing what would have been an automatic acclamation of Area 1. She has two decades of experience across public policy, organizational strategy and youth development. McMillan’s priorities include fostering board collaboration, advancing diversity and reconciliation and empowering youth capacity. 

Trudy Spiller (Lugaganowals) is a Colwood resident and incumbent school trustee running for re-election. She is from the Wolf Clan and the House of Gwininitxw within the Gitxsan Nation in Northern British Columbia. Her platform is focused on capital infrastructure expansion, inclusion and diversity support and stable board leadership. 

Milnes Landing Zone (Area 2)

Area 2 has three candidates running for three available trustee positions so all candidates will be elected by acclamation. 

Ed Burlando is a long-time educator who has been elected by acclamation as a school board trustee. He has over 34 years of experience in teaching, including 29 years at Edward Milne Community School. During his career, he has focused on students with moderate to severe behavioural needs, physical disabilities and learning barriers, as well as advocacy for frontline needs. 

Amanda Dowhy is an incumbent school trustee and the chair of SD62 who has been elected by acclamation. She is a Sooke resident who was first elected in 2022 and had previously served the District PAC. Her focus is on managing overcrowding in the school district and lobbying the Province for capital approvals to build the planned North Langford secondary school.

Laurie Szadkowski is a Sooke resident, a long-time local educator and former school principal who is the third and final candidate to have been elected by acclamation in Area 2. She comes from a family of teachers and has spent her entire life connected to the Sooke community. Her focus in this campaign has been responsible infrastructure growth, transparent and evidence-based choices and community advocacy.

Saanich School District (SD63)

For SD63, which encompasses the Saanich Peninsula along with parts of northern Saanich, there are seven trustee seats available and 11 candidates in the running.

The district has been broken down into four trustee electoral areas, based on the municipality voters reside, and each has a designated number of seats available:

• TEA 1 – District of North Saanich (two trustees)
• TEA 2 – Town of Sidney (one trustee)
• TEA 3 – District of Central Saanich (two trustees)
• TEA 4 – District of Saanich (two trustees)

Notably, the trustee candidates in both North Saanich and Sidney have already been declared elected by acclamation because there were no more candidates than open seats. 

However, voters will have to choose between four candidates apiece in Central Saanich and Saanich.

TEA 1 – District of North Saanich

Both candidates have been elected by acclamation because there were the same number of candidates as there were trustee positions. 

Keven Elder is an incumbent candidate for school board trustee and was previously a long-time public educator who taught for 40 years, 32 of which were spent teaching in SD63. His priorities include equity and inclusion, truth and reconciliation and instructional innovation. 

Kal Russell has spent years working directly within the district’s administration, specifically serving as the International Program Coordinator for Saanich Schools. Through this work, he has managed international student enrollment, overseen cultural integration strategies, coordinated host-family dynamics and facilitated global partnerships for schools across the Saanich Peninsula. 

TEA 2 – Town of Sidney

In Sidney, the sole candidate for school board trustee has also been declared elected by acclamation. 

Monique Hiltz is an experienced parental advisory executive who is a long-standing executive member of the Confederation of Parents’ Advisory Councils of Saanich (COPACS), the officially legislated District PAC for SD63. Her platform in the campaign leveraged her inside knowledge of the district’s operational and fiscal decision-making models.

TEA 3 – District of Central Saanich

Central Saanich will have four candidates for voters to choose between for two SD63 trustee positions.

Alicia Allen is a legal professional, emergency management volunteer and community advocate. In March, she made a presentation to the SD63 board opposing proposed transportation fees, arguing that safe, reliable school bus transit is a fundamental pillar of public education that should not financially burden local families. When the board passed the fees anyway, she decided to run. Her priorities include universal access and accountability, transportation advocacy and inclusive classrooms. 

Tim Dunford is running for re-election as the incumbent board chair, and has previously served four terms as an SD63 trustee. He practiced as a family law lawyer in Victoria for 43 years before retiring and has lived in Central Saanich since 1985. His campaign focuses on stable leadership, Indigenous reconciliation efforts and provincial funding advocacy. 

Joey Martin is a first responder and public transit advocate. His campaign was influenced by the district’s decision to implement school bus fees for parents. His priorities include parental representation, transportation security and equitable accountability. 

Yaz Prince is a parent, volunteer and community advocate. Prince aims to bring a relatable, community-oriented approach to the board table and her priorities include relatable representation, meaningful engagement and governance transparency. 

TEA 4 – District of Saanich

In Saanich, there are four candidates seeking two available trustee positions for SD63. 

Jordan Gerrard is a youth support worker and Victoria resident running for a SD63 board seat. He works locally as a specialized child and youth worker in Saanich with a focus on guiding children and teenagers aged eight to 19 as they navigate the group home system. His priorities include prioritizing vulnerable students, providing neurodivergent students with support, advocating for digital literacy regarding AI and working towards better student retention. 

Karen MacEwan is a North Saanich resident and retired educator who previously worked as a school principal. She spent over three decades serving as both a frontline teacher and a school administrator and also has experience as a union representative. Her priorities include leading with integrity, compassion and a dedication to learning; removing barriers to learning; and championing diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Victoria Martin is a Victoria resident running for an SD63 trustee position. She had previously served as an SD63 trustee for 11 years beginning in 2011, but did not run in 2022. In prior terms, she chaired the district’s Budget Advisory Committee and advocated for stable provincial revenue models. She has also served as a liaison to COPACS. 

Teri VanWell is a North Saanich resident and incumbent trustee candidate running for a Saanich SD63 position. She brings eight years of experience to her re-election campaign, having served continuously since her initial election in 2018. Her priorities are to support school police liaison officers in schools, implement student voice engagement and to be fiscally responsible.