About Our Board

The Board of Education, in accordance with the School Act, is a policy-making body whose primary function is to establish procedures and guidelines for the operation of public schools. Local boards of education are responsible for producing a budget, administering expenditures, and liaising with individual schools through the School Trustee Liaison Program, as well as for several basic functions including:

  • Policy, Planning and Evaluation
  • Action on Legal Requirements
  • Selection of Senior Personnel
  • Public Relations

Current members of the Board of Education for New Westminster Schools were elected in November 2022 for a 4-year term. They are Marc Andres, Danielle Connelly, Gurveen Dhaliwal, Elliott Slinn, Cheryl Sluis, and Maya Russell. There is one vacancy on the Board of Education.

Contact us

The board welcomes communications, comments and questions from the public. Please email us at boardofeducation@sd40.bc.ca … emails received to this address are also documented for review, as part of the larger working process of the Board of Education.

The Executive Assistant supporting the Board of Education is Laura Goodman (lgoodman@sd40.bc.ca). For questions on process, file access or other such inquiries, please reach out to her.

If you are from a media outlet that is seeking comment from a member of the Board, please contact the District’s Communications Manager, Mike Lee (mvlee@sd40.bc.ca) as he can help coordinate time with or get you comment from the appropriate Trustee.

Trustees

Maya Russell, Chair

Trustee Maya Russell is serving her second term, and was elected Board Chair on September 26, 2023. Trustee Russell is the school liaison to F.W. Howay Elementary School, Queensborough Middle School, and the Indigenous Education Committee. She sits on the Burnaby/New West Task Force on Sexual Exploitation, the Memorialization Advisory, and the Joint City and District Working Group Committees. She is also an active member of the ESL Consortium.

Email: mrussell@sd40.bc.ca

Cheryl Sluis

Cheryl Sluis is serving her first term as School Trustee, and was elected Vice-Chair on September 26, 2023. She is the school liaison to École Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary, Queensborough Middle School, and Learners Program at Hume Park. Trustee Sluis is a member of both the Sanctuary Schools, and the SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Committees. She also sits on the Joint City and District Working Group Committee, and is the liaison for the District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC).

Email: csluis@sd40.bc.ca 

Gurveen Dhaliwal

Trustee Gurveen Dhaliwal is serving her second term, and has been elected three times as Chair. She is school liaison to New Westminster Secondary School, and École Glenbrook Middle School. Trustee Dhaliwal serves on the CUPE Labour/Management and Grievance Management-Step 3 Committee, and is the Board Representative to the BC School Trustees’ Association (BCSTA). She also sits on the Joint City and District Working Group Committee. 

Email: gdhaliwal@sd40.bc.ca

Danielle Connelly

Trustee Danielle Connelly is currently serving her fifth year as School Trustee. She is the Chair of the Operations Policy and Planning Committee, and the school liaison to Connaught Heights Elementary, Skwo:wech Elementary, and New Westminster Adult and Online Learning. She represents New Westminster Schools on the Memorialization Advisory, SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), the Canadian Parents for French Committees, and is the Board’s Representative to the BC Public School Employer’s Association (BCPSEA).

Email: dconnelly@sd40.bc.ca

Elliott Slinn

Elliott Slinn is serving his first year as School Trustee. He is school liaison for Lord Kelvin Elementary School, Fraser River Middle School, Power Alternate Secondary School, Royal City Alternate Secondary School (RCAP), and SIGMA’s Alternate Program. He is also a member of the Sanctuary Schools and Anti-Racism Advisory Committees. Trustee Slinn is the Board’s Alternate Representative to both the BC School Trustees’ Association (BCSTA), and the BC Public School Employer’s Association (BCPSEA).

Email: eslinn@sd40.bc.ca 

Marc Andres

Marc Andres

Marc Andres is serving his first year as School Trustee. He is Chair of the Education Policy and Planning Committee, and member of both SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), and Anti-Racism Advisory Committees. He is the school liaison to École Herbert Spencer Elementary, École Qayqayt Elementary, and Queen Elizabeth Elementary Schools. 

Email: mandres@sd40.bc.ca