Gail Anderson
Executive Officer, Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA)
Gail Anderson has had an extensive career in the field of public education and is a leader in education administration. She was instrumental in shaping the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), an amalgamation of three school trustee/board organizations. Gail served as the Executive Director of the Association of Large School Boards of Ontario, one of OPSBA’s three predecessor organizations. She served several years as the Associate Executive Director of Operations for the amalgamated organization and has been Executive Director of OPSBA for the last 17 years. In building the organization she has played a pivotal role in establishing organizational culture and values as well as leading the human resources, operations and legal dimensions that contribute to OPSBA’s success. Gail led the creation of the Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC), a co-operative of several school board associations, which was formed to provide customized and cost-effective programs and services to school boards in Ontario. Gail has been the President of OESC for a number of years.
As Executive Director of OPSBA Gail helped create the Canadian Centre for Quality Education and Opportunity, a national charitable organization supporting educational materials and resources development. This service has since successfully transitioned to the independent body, Classroom Connections Learning Foundation. Gail also took a lead role in the restructuring of the Canadian School Boards Association, helping to revitalize its role as the voice of public education in Canada and creating a collaborative approach among provinces in delivering on key priorities and presenting a dynamic communication strategy. Gail was one of the founding members of The Canadian Association for Practical Study of Legal Issues in Education (CAPSLE) and has served on CAPSLE’s conference planning committee. She is also a member of the Ontario Association of School Business Officials. Gail has a Master’s Degree in educational administration, an undergraduate degree and a certificate in personnel and industrial relations from the University of Toronto and has completed the course requirements as a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto. Gail is dedicated to the value of publicly funded education and to supporting effective provincial and national organizations that provide greater life opportunities for children and youth. |