School board race includes fresh and familiar faces

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/09/2022 (1254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three candidates have officially put their names forward to run in the upcoming school board trustee election, although the finalized ballot will include at least eight more names.

Following the first day of the nomination period, which runs from Wednesday to Tuesday, Brad Rusnak, Breeanna Sieklicki and Kirk Carr all filed their paperwork, according to the City of Brandon’s election website.

Rusnak, one of the newest candidates to enter the race, is the manager of Boyd Autobody and Glass in Brandon and told the Sun that he’s running to give students with special needs more attention, since his two elementary school-age sons both live with ocular albinism.

“We’ve worked quite extensively with resource teachers … and essentially the board in trying to get the resources needed for our two oldest sons,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

“This definitely was challenging in many ways and that’s why I thought a voice was missing on this board.”

The 41-year-old said his status as a business manager over the last two decades has given him a lot of exposure to vital board activities like crunching numbers and balancing budgets.

In terms of pre-existing board volunteer experience, Rusnak said he’s already served as a member of groups like the Westman 5-Pin Bowlers Association, having been an avid bowler for 34 years.

Meanwhile, Sieklicki is a name that Brandon voters should already recognize, since she previously ran in the 2020 school board byelection.

Even though Sieklicki didn’t pick up a seat two years ago, the Red Seal carpenter said she wants to run again to show her kids that you can’t give up if you don’t succeed initially.

The stay-at-home mom said she is still passionate about supporting the fundamentals of education, both at school and at home.

“If you want your kids to be successful, it starts at home and then it flourishes in the classroom with great teachers,” she said Wednesday.

Local health-care aide Carr also announced his intention to run for a school board seat on Tuesday, telling the Sun that he’d make a “great team player” if elected.

Carr is also president of the Brandon and District Labour Council, a position he said he’ll continue to hold if he wins a place as a trustee.

While Duncan Ross hasn’t officially filed his paperwork yet, the 28-year-old Royal Bank of Canada advisor said on Monday that he’s looking to bring about a “new generation of leadership” by running, since this is his first foray into politics.

At least six members of the current Brandon School Division board of trustees — including Linda Ross (no relation to Duncan Ross), Jason Gobeil, Calistus Ekenna, Kim Fallis, Blaine Foley, Jim Murray and Delvina Kejick — have told the Sun that they intend to run for re-election.

However, trustees Sherilyn Bambridge and Lisa Letain will not be returning once their term expires.

Voters will select nine trustees at the same time they vote for city councillors in the upcoming Oct. 26 civic election.

Eight of these school board trustees will represent the City of Brandon and one to represent the surrounding rural area.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson