About Jo-Ann

TCDSB STUDENT & BEYOND

Jo-Ann grew up in Markland Woods in Etobicoke, where she and her family were parishioners at St Clement's parish (led Youth Ministry for several years, including during the 2000 World Youth Day in Toronto). She attended St Vincent de Paul (where her father taught) in Roncesvalles and St Joseph College Schools. 

She holds a BA in Political Science from St Michael's College, UofT, and an MA in Chinese Politics & Law from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London (UK).

Jo-Ann was TCDSB Trustee for Ward 9 from 2010 - 2018 (including serving as Chair of the Board and Vice Chair of the Board). In 2018, she and her family moved to Roncesvalles where they attend St. Joan of Arc church.. Their son just graduated from St Vincent de Paul school, where Jo-Ann served as parent council (CSPC) Chair since October, 2018 - June 2022. He now attends his local Catholic secondary, Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton.

While parent council Chair at St Vincent de Paul school, Jo-Ann led an initiative in May, 2019, for St Vincent de Paul school students and parents to delegate at a Board of Trustees meeting for desperately needed playground investment in support of student success and well-being. The delegations resulted in the creation of an annual $1.2M Playground Reserve, in June, 2019, for schools across the Board

PROFESSIONAL / VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Professionally, Jo-Ann is a Management Consultant specializing in leading major strategic change initiatives for corporate clients., including merger and acquisition integrations. 

She currently serves on several Boards:

• Young People's Theatre
• Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
• Space Place (Planetarium) Canada and 
• Board of Advisors of Catholic Conscience (a non-partisan Catholic civic and political engagement organization. promoting reflection on the Christian duties of love, charity, good stewardship, and the principles of Catholic social justice teaching,)

TCDSB TRUSTEE FOR WARD 9 - 2010 -2018

Jo-Ann served as Trustee for Ward 9 (2010-18) and was elected Chair and Vice Chair of the TCDSB, and Vice Chair of the City of Toronto - School Boards Committee at City Hall. 

SOME MAJOR INITIATIVES AS A TRUSTEE:

As trustee for Ward 9, Jo-Ann answered every call and email from constituents. 

She worked with staff to help secure funding for the construction of 2 new schools - St Raymond elementary and St Michael's Choir School - as well as  $2 million in funding to renovate Pope Francis elementary, the development of Bishop Macdonell and $300,000 in City funding for a new park and outdoor green learning space at Monsignor Fraser Alternative in the Annex.

Jo-Ann served as Vice Chair of the City of Toronto-School Board Committee. 

Further, Jo-Ann introduced and championed a wide range of initiatives including:

• her first motion as a trustee, in 2011, was for the Board to celebrate Pope John Paul II Day in classrooms across the city annually.
• the creation of the Catholic Social Justice Committee - with staff, parent and community partner representation - providing regular recommendations to the Board on ways to close the learning opportunity gaps for students across our Board, especially for the 1 in 4 students living in poverty (twice as likely to be a racialized student).
• the creation of the Governance & Policy Committee (to bring transparency and public accountability to policy development), 
• the creation of an Ombudsman role to investigate complaints brought forward by parents and students and assist with their fair resolution. The Board of Trustees did not pass the motion, but since then, the provincial Ombudsman has been given power to oversee the education sector.
• the Board's first Community Advisory Committee (Partners in Motion for the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking communities),  It's success enabled the creation of the  9 community advisory committees now in place, including the Ukrainian, 2SLGBTQ+, African Canadian, and Indigenous, increasing the community voice at Board.
• the goal of making the TCDSB the first Net-Zero Energy school board in the province (for which annual reports are still provided and work is still being done), 
• finding funds in order to reduce staff-planned cuts to critical Special Education,  literacy programs (Fifth Block) and critical educational support workers (e.g. ECEs, Child & Youth Workers) during annual budget discussions.
• for staff to develop programming for students across our board  to  study,  and  reflect  on, Pope’s Francis’s critical Laudato Si (Care of our Common Home) Encyclical letter which  focuses  on  our  interconnected relationships with God, each other and our planet. 
• the right of students to create Gay-Straight Alliances 
• the expansion of the Safe Schools report give vulnerable students a stronger voice to identify solutions for issues impacting student safety and well being, and
• reducing the voting age for municipal elections to 16 given the direct impact of the role of trustee on students. (The motion lost on a tie vote of trustees)
• partnership with Salt & Light Catholic Network for faith-based resources for teachers and students.

FAITH IN ACTION

For Jo-Ann, seeking public office comes from the belief that our Catholic faith demands action. And that public policy and budget decisions should be based on the following principles:

• advancing the dignity of every person as equally valuable, 
• solidarity with the most vulnerable in the struggle against injustice, and 
• putting aside individual interests to support the Common Good.