About Me

I am the second oldest of nine children, raised on an irrigation farm in southern Alberta. I’m married to Frank, my husband of 29 years, and we have 2 boys, Nathan, 26, and Matt, 23. We’ve lived in Innisfail for 19 years. I’m a home economist by profession and currently work part-time as a bookkeeper.

Why re-elect me as trustee?

Committed to Catholic Education

Although I attended a Catholic school and assisted with the 4x4 formation that brought Catholic Education to Innisfail, it wasn’t until I became a school board trustee that I realized what a treasure Catholic education is.

I believe the holistic approach to education, where all facets of a child’s development are addressed- intellectual, physical and spiritual- is one of the key elements that sets it apart. The spiritual development of our students is the unifying principle that gives us a common goal and results in a well-rounded student.

The other element that distinguishes Catholic education is faith permeation, where the message of God’s unconditional love is shared not only in Religion class but in all subject areas. It’s also consciously applied to the manner in which staff and students treat each other and in the school’s decoration and design. I need only walk into a Catholic school to know something special is happening there.

Catholic education is indeed a treasure and I’m committed to nurturing, promoting and preserving it.

Experience

My first term as a trustee was a steep learning curve. I would like the opportunity to build on that knowledge and the relationships I established during that time.

As well, I’ve had extensive experience with boards, having served as an Executive Director of one and as a board member on several others.

2007-10 Board Achievements Impacting Innisfail, Bowden, Olds and Didsbury

During my first term of office the Board of Trustees of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools accomplished the following:

• Secured additional funds for construction of Holy Trinity School in Olds and began construction
• In collaboration with Chinook’s Edge School Division, submitted a proposal to Alberta Education to address the space and programming issues at Ecole St. Marguerite Bourgeoys School, Innisfail
• High academic achievement
• High percentage of students, staff and parents were satisfied with the Catholicity of our schools
• Fiscally responsible

If re-elected I would continue to ensure that board funds are managed responsibly and that small class sizes remain a priority.

Committed to service

As a trustee:

I regularly attended parish masses and school functions in all the communities I served i.e. Olds, Innisfail and Sylvan Lake, so I’d be easily available to hear constituents’ concerns.

I also sat on these committees:

• Chair, 2010 Edwin Parr Award Committee for ASBA Zone 4
• Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Education Foundation– founding committee member
• Embedded Professional Development Committee

In my parish:

• Member of the Proclaimer of the Word ministry for 18+ years
• Coffee host
• Collection counter
• Member, Our Lady of Peace CWL
• Grade 2 Catechism teacher 1991-5
• Past Social Committee member, Our Lady of Peace Parish Council

In my community:

• Board member, Innisfail and District Co-operative Association/ Central Alberta Co-op 2001-8, 2010-
• Just for You Women’s Conference: Chairman  2006, Committee member 2001—5
• Red Deer Home Economics Association: Past Vice-Chair and Program Committee Member
• Assisted with the organization of several Napoleon Lake neighborhood functions

As a member of a school community:

• Involved with bringing Catholic education to Innisfail
• Past school volunteer

In my employment:

While the jobs I’ve had are different, they‘re similar in that they’ve involved in meeting community needs:

• District Home Economist , Alberta Agriculture
• Executive Director, Henday Association for Lifelong Learning
• Parenting Program Facilitator, Red Deer Family Service Bureau
• Welcome Wagon Representative

I am honored to have served you the past 3 years and would be honored to have the privilege once again.

Please feel free to contact me either of these ways:

Phone: 403.227.4934

Email: fdmackay@shaw.ca

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