Bruno Iannicca re-elected separate board chair

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board trustees recently re-elected long-time Mississauga Trustee Bruno Iannicca as chair of the 11-member board.

Iannicca was first elected to the board in 1991 and over the past 16 years, has served in leadership capacities on various committees, including chair and vice-chair of the administration and finance committee, vicechair of the faith and program committee and vicechair of the contract negotiations committee.

Mississauga Trustee Anna Abbruscato was elected vice-chair.

Like Iannicca, Abbruscato has extensive leadership experience on the board. She is a former vicechair of the board and has served as chair and vicechair of numerous committees.

Iannicca has a BA degree in commerce and economics from the University of Toronto, and a diploma in management studies from Sheridan College.

He begins his second term as chair in vastly different circumstances than last year, when the board was under provincial supervision because trustees refused to make cuts to balance the board's budget; cuts that trustees believed would be harmful to students and were being forced due to chronic underfunding. This year, the board has filed a projected balanced budget for 2007- 08.

"This is a new day and a new time," said Iannicca. "We have put the past behind us and we are all looking forward to great things in 2008. As trustees, our role is to be stewards and guardians of Catholic education in our community. As chair of this board, let me assure you that we will be tenacious on this point."

The board also elected the chairs and vice chairs of its five standing committees and its representative on the transportation consortium.

Caledon trustee Frank Di Cosola was named chair of the contract negotiations committee.