R Liesje introduced Jeff:
Jeff spent 35 years with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board including time at ENSS as VP and Principle. He was invited to share his passion for students and education.
Jeff shared some of his background, growing up in South Oshawa but spending most of his life in Northumberland County now, about 40 years in Colborne. His wife Maureen and three children, Jaime, Jesse and Jenna.
He loves sports, wood working, landscaping, learning and traveling.
He has taught from Port Hope to Brighton with KPRDSB.
He is committed to Community Service and giving back.
In 2008 he was a co-founder of the Journey of Hope, sweat equity projects involving high school students going to Tanzania to help orphans as a result of the AIDS / HIV epidemic. Over the years they raised and contributed $500,000 to the projects in Africa. This started through Rotary and specifically Chris Snyder from the Rotary Club of Toronto. Jeff and another former ENSS principle Steve Truelove got involved going to Africa with the Rotary sweat equity projects and then got the idea to take students. With the support of the board, they formed the Journey of Hope. Jeff has himself been on 12 trips over the years. It was a wonderful learning tool for the students, to see first hand what they could do.
Jeff acknowledged the support of Rotary and other service clubs and individuals through the years. Also businesses. In 2017 they were approached by a Mother Superior in Tanzania to help with an all girls school. If you educate a women, you educate a country. They were asked to build a residence but it was too big. Instead they helped with school supplies, laptops and science equipment which they managed to have donated by one of the board suppliers. Then the students delivered the supplies on their next trip. This was followed up by an exchange when some of the girls from Africa came to visit Canada for 3 weeks several years ago.
Jeff acknowledged the inspiration from Rotary. The kids raised the funds and paid their own expenses.
Jeff noted the ENSS legacy such as working with Brian Todd and the ENSS track and field, nutrition and breakfast programs, inclusive society and the Terry Fox legacy at ENSS. ENSS was the first school across the country to raise $1,000,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation.
Jeff says, some things have to be fought for.
R Liesje thanked Jeff for his presentation.