A familiar face will be helping students and parents return to school safely this fall at Catholic schools in Chatham-Kent.
On Tuesday, the St. Clair Catholic District School Board announced that former Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Bob Crawford has been appointed as the project coordinator to develop a board-wide plan for reopening school in September.
Crawford's career in emergency services has spanned more than 40 years. He served as the municipality's chief of fire and paramedic services for 14 years before retiring at the end of 2019. Most recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Crawford also led a project to develop an emergency field hospital for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
"The health and safety of our students, families and staff is the board’s top priority, as we begin to consider what a return to school in September might look like," said Amy Janssens, associate director, corporate services and treasurer. "That is why we are looking to Bob, with his tremendous background and experience in emergency services, both locally and at the provincial level, to lead this important process for our board. We are indeed fortunate to have an individual of his calibre to take on this leadership role."
Former Assistant Superintendent of Education Brenda Courey, who retired from the board in 2015 after 18 years of service, has also been hired to assist Crawford.
The contracts for both Crawford and Courey will conclude on September 5, 2020.
