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Long-Serving SD5 secretary-treasurer set to retire
School District No. 5 (SD5) Secretary-Treasurer Rob Norum has formally announced his retirement to the SD5 Board of Education, effective April 1.
According to Board Chair Frank Lento, Norum shared his intention to retire with the board late last year. “Naturally, we are sad that the time has finally come for Rob to move on to the greener pastures of the golf course,” he said, adding, “The district has benefited immensely from his years of dedicated service and he will be dearly missed.”
Lento attributes Norum’s sound fiscal planning, management expertise and dedication to the betterment of students and communities throughout SD5 to the financial stability the district has enjoyed over the past three decades despite a number of legislative and collective bargaining changes, wage freezes, labour disputes, fluctuating student enrolments –and some very lean funding years.
During his 30 year tenure as secretary-treasurer, Norum was instrumental to the successful replacement of four schools in the district and has been integral to the work of the board in its ongoing advocacy for the replacement of Isabella Dicken Elementary School (IDES) in Fernie and Mount Baker Secondary School (MBSS) in Cranbrook.
Norum’s legacy also extends to the Key City Theatre (KCT), which was built in 1992 using the old MBSS gymnasium space. Funded largely through Expo ’86 legacy funds, the Theatre was a partnership project between SD5 and the City of Cranbrook.
Norum worked on the original partnership agreement between the district, the city and the newly formed, not-for-profit, Key City Theatre Society (KCTS), tasked with operating the Theatre.
“The Key City Theatre is just one example of the relationships Rob has built and the personal knowledge he has accumulated over the decades. We are very fortunate that Rob has agreed to continue on with the district in a consulting/mentoring role for the foreseeable future so that he can pass along some of his vast knowledge to the new secretary-treasurer.”
The board recently engaged the services of Dr. Leroy Sloan, PhD, President of Sloan Consultants, to assist them in their search for a new secretary-treasurer. Sloan is a former educator, BC school superintendent and Alberta Deputy Minister and Senior Education Advisor to the Alberta School Boards’ Association.
“It has been an extremely thorough process,” said Lento. “Mr. Sloan worked with Rob [Norum] and the board to craft a job description and posting, then walked the board through the short-listing of candidates and took the role of moderator during the interviews we conducted recently. He has also been instrumental in helping the board to draft a contract for the new position.”
The board is expected to announce the successful candidate later this week.
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