The St. Clair Catholic District School Board has bid farewell to its longest serving trustee.
Anita Mallette-Snobelen said she was called to this role 27 years ago, when she decided to run as a trustee on the former Kent County Roman Catholic Separate Board in the 1991 municipal election.
“I feel so passionate not only about education, but Catholic education,” she said, adding today’s trustees are standing on the shoulders of those pioneers who helped create Catholic education.
But she admits having had some doubts about her ability.
“I didn’t really think I was smart enough or had the right background,” Mallette-Snobelen said.
The joked her experience on parent council had prepared her to “flip hot dogs and work bingos.” She credits the encouragement she received former director of education Earl Lozon.
“Earl told me that I had what it takes to be a trustee,” she said.
Snobelen-Mallette excelled as a trustee and was called upon to be part of the committee that worked on amalgamating the Kent County Catholic board with Sarnia-Lambton, which became a single board in 1998.
“Amalgamation was probably one of the toughest things, because there were so many that were fearful of losing their jobs, losing their identity, their autonomy,” she said.
“Nobody wants to learn something new, everybody’s always comfortable in the position that they’re in,” she added.
Mallette-Snobelen credits the decision to bring in former director of education Margaret Nelson, who had no connection to Chatham-Kent or Sarnia-Lambton.
“She was just here to make us a cohesive board,” Mallette-Snobelen said, adding the initial board made a lot of important decisions.
She would go on to serve as the first vice-chair of the amalgamated Catholic school board and four consecutive terms as board chair from 2007 to 2010. She also served two other terms as vice-chair in 2005 and 2011.
John Van Heck, current board chair, praised Mallette-Snobelen for being a mentor to him, admitting he found the role of trustee daunting when he was first elected.
“She helped a lot,” he said, recalling they had many conversations on the phone and in the parking lot after board meetings.
“I truly appreciate her and I’m going to miss her immensely around the board table,” Van Heck said.
Mallette-Snobelen admits being challenged, at times, by her role as a Catholic trustee.
“There were times that I could not bring myself to bend in my convictions and set aside my frustrations, but somehow, I just knew there would be better times ahead and I’m so grateful that I didn’t give up.” She expressed her admiration for both administration and fellow trustees.
“The last half of my tenure has been just the most satisfying and gratifying,” Mallette-Snobelen said. “We really do seem to have a dream team here.
“I will hold you all very dearly in my heart,” she said.
She added her experience as a trustee will enable her to take so much wisdom and political and business savvy with her.
Mallette-Snobelen, who now lives in the Goderich area, will be calling on these experiences as she embarks on a new political journey in municipal politics.
She has been elected as a councillor-at-large for Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township, which is located north of Goderich.
“I keep telling people I’m going from curriculum to culverts,” Mallette-Snobelen quipped.
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