We are delighted to welcome three additional exceptional people to the SelfDesign Learning Foundation Board of Directors.
Sherry Elwood, Frank Heinzelmann and Carlos da Ponte bring diverse experience from across the education spectrum – as parents, learners and practitioners. They also bring key skills and expertise to help provide governance and oversight of SelfDesign.
As the recently retired Superintendent of Schools in B.C.’s Richmond School District and former schools superintendent in the Comox Valley, Sherry has been an educational leader and advocate for online learning and for programs that meet the needs of diverse B.C. learners for decades. Early in her teaching career, she worked in alternative education, Indigenous Education and with older learners at a correctional facility.
Those experiences, she says, “amplified my understanding of the need for diversity in the learning opportunities that were offered to students. I understood that a ‘one size fits all’ model often misses what many students need to reach their potentials.”
Frank is the SelfDesign parent of three children who experienced our kindergarten to grade 12 program. He says, “SelfDesign’s approach and vision towards lifelong learning are inspiring, and I believe that it is ever more relevant in our global community.”
Educated in Germany, South Africa and British Columbia, Frank has worked in environmental consulting and, in recent years, in private banking and investment.
Technology entrepreneur Carlos’s own experience with self-directed learning began as a teenager, when he completed his studies by correspondence while travelling the world by boat. It continued through both undergraduate degree and his master’s degree in Environment & Management from Royal Roads University. Now he is experiencing it as a parent of two children exploring similar flexibility and choice in learning.
“I am a firm believer that there are different ways to learn, every individual has a unique way of learning, and that embracing this approach yields the best outcomes for the individual and society,” he says “It is this perspective I see mirrored in SelfDesign’s mission and programs.”
Carlos has worked extensively with non-profit boards and advisory councils for education-oriented organizations, leading organizational restructuring processes, IT overhaul projects, committee-building exercises, and board revitalization.
The role of SelfDesign’s Board of Directors is to provide governance and oversight of the organization’s overall direction and strategy. Its membership, structure, and processes exist to advance the organization’s mission, vision, and long-term viability.
“As board members, we’re the listening post,” says longtime Board member Devon Girard. “We’re there to support conversations with leadership that lead to deeper thinking, and help support long-term strategic and sustainability planning, as well as ensure the board’s more conservative responsibilities regarding financial oversight and risk mitigation are met.”
