Stan Petersen Takes Helm as Chair of Abbotsford Education Board

Trustee Stan Petersen has been appointed as the new chair of the Abbotsford Board of Education, succeeding Shirley Wilson, who held the position since February 2024. Wilson previously took over from Korky Neufeld, who stepped down to pursue a campaign for the 2024 provincial election.

The board conducts annual elections for the chair and vice-chair positions. During the recent meeting, trustee Preet Rai nominated Wilson to continue as chair, but she opted to decline, subsequently nominating Petersen instead. With no additional nominations, Petersen was acclaimed to the role.

In his acceptance, Petersen expressed gratitude, stating, “I’d like to thank my colleagues for the privilege of this position. And also thank now vice-chair Wilson for her three years of service to our board, as well as past vice-chair Rai for his great work over the past three years.”

Petersen has been a trustee since 2011 and served as board chair previously in 2022. Following his election, trustee Mike Rauch nominated Rupi Kanda-Rajwan for the vice-chair position, while Rai put forth Wilson’s name. A secret ballot was conducted to determine the vice-chair, resulting in Wilson’s election.

Wilson clarified that her decision to step aside from the chair role stemmed from personal and professional considerations, emphasizing that external pressures from social media did not influence her choice. “I want to be clear that while there are negative comments on social media for me to step down as board chair, this is not why I stepped away from this role,” she said. “I embrace the opportunity to continue in a board leadership role in order to best support our staff and district, and work in the interest of students, families, and the community. I remain as committed as I was the first day I was elected some 20 years ago.”

The next meeting of the Abbotsford Board of Education is scheduled for December 9, 2024, where the board will continue its work in supporting the education community.