Minister announces new Directors of Education/CEOs

Education Minister John Ottenheimer today announced the Directors of Education/Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) for the new Western, Central and Eastern school districts. The Directors of Education/CEOs are Dr. Ross Elliott for the Western School District, Mr. Randell Mercer for the Central School District and Dr. Bruce Sheppard for the Eastern School District.

"Each of the Directors/CEOs is a long-serving educator with a demonstrated commitment to the education system in Newfoundland and Labrador and each currently holds a parallel position with one of the existing school boards," said the minister. "I am confident in the continued success of our education system and the positive environment for learning that will be maintained with the expertise of these accomplished individuals." The Directors/CEOs will maintain their current positions until September 1 when they officially assume their new role.

The Directors/CEOs have the responsibility for the overall management of the delivery of education within school districts. They are the educational leaders in each district, providing administrative and consultative services to school boards.

The application and selection process was completed through the Public Service Commission. The competition process for Assistant Directors of Education is in progress, with positions to be filled in the coming weeks.

Media contact: Lynn Salter, Communications, (709) 729-0048

BACKGROUNDER

Dr. Ross Elliott
Director of Education/CEO Western School District
Dr. Ross Elliott has educational experience as a teacher, school administrator, program specialist, assistant superintendent and director of education. He is currently Director of Education for School District 3, Corner Brook-Deer Lake-St. Barbe. Prior to this, Dr. Elliott has worked in district leadership positions on the Burin Peninsula, Avalon North School District and Avalon West School District.

Dr. Elliott has completed a Masters of Curriculum and Instruction (1992) from Memorial University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration (2001) from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. His research involvements have included work on the role of school districts, effective district practices, program implementation, organizational learning and educational leadership. He is an associate member of the Centre for Leadership Development at OISE, University of Toronto, and has taught graduate courses at Memorial University in school improvement and educational leadership. Dr. Elliott has presented papers at various national and international conferences and his published work includes research on organizational learning in schools and school districts.

Mr. Randell Mercer
Designate Director of Education/Central School District
Randell Mercer has had a long career in education, dating back to 1973 as a teacher on the Burin Peninsula. For the past 23 years, he has held a number of senior school district administrative positions in the central and eastern regions of the province. He is currently the Director of Education with the Lewisporte-Gander School Board, a position he has occupied since 1996.

Mr. Mercer is a graduate of Memorial University, having received a Bachelor of Science degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degrees. He received his early education at Upper Island Cove and was a high school graduate from Ascension Collegiate, Bay Roberts.

He has been an active volunteer in the community, having served on the executive of the Gander Chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, as a member the Gander University Committee, as chair of the former Gander and District Hospital Board and, more recently, as a member of the Central East Heath Care Institutions Board.

Dr. Bruce Sheppard
Director of Education/Eastern School District
Dr. Bruce Sheppard is currently Director of Education and Chief Executive Officer for Avalon West School Board and adjunct professor, Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Associate Dean of Graduate Programmes and Research in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University, assistant superintendent in a school district in western Newfoundland and principal of Ascension Collegiate in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland.

As well as having extensive experience in the K-12 school system, Dr. Sheppard has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has also taught graduate courses in educational administration at the University of Ottawa, Ontario and St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia. His research interests include educational leadership, educational change, school improvement, organizational learning in educational settings, program implementation and e-learning.

Dr. Sheppard is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the International Electronic Journal for Leadership in Learning. He has presented papers at various national and international conferences and has published widely in academic and professional journals. Among his recent accomplishments, Dr. Sheppard was awarded the 2002 CEA-Whitworth Award for his contribution to research and scholarship in Canada.

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