Durham Catholic District School Board Trustees Elect Chair and Vice-Chair for 2025

Posted On Tuesday November 26, 2024

The Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) is pleased to share the results of the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, which took place at the Annual Board Meeting on November 25, 2024.

Monique Forster, Trustee for the Town of Ajax, was re-elected to the position of Chair of the Board. Ms. Forster was first elected as a Trustee for the Town of Ajax in 2014 and has been re-elected twice. Trustee Forster has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the past year, and recently served on the Board’s Finance Committee, Board Award of Merit Committee, Trustee Youth Award Committee, Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation, and a joint committee for Durham Student Transportation Services, amongst others over the past decade. 

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue to serve the students, staff and families of the Durham Catholic District School Board as the Chair of the Board of Trustees,” said Chair Forster. “I am proud of the work that we are doing, particularly in the areas of student achievement, faith formation and diversity, equity and inclusion. I feel inspired by our priorities and our commitment to continue to be aware of and responsive to the needs of all those we serve, as we work to forge and grow community partnerships with unity of purpose.”

Kim Beatty, Trustee for the City of Oshawa, was elected for the position of Vice-Chair. Ms. Beatty was first elected Trustee for the City of Oshawa in 2022. Over the last two years, she has served in several roles, including on the Supervised Alternative Learning Committee, Student Senate, Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee and the Finance Committee. 

Vice-Chair Beatty thanked fellow trustees for their support, “I am so grateful to my fellow Trustees for their support and partnership. I am committed to DCDSB, as this system didn’t just educate my daughter - it gave me opportunities to grow in my own faith. I want other families to have the same opportunity to grow in their faith.”

On behalf of the Board’s Senior Administrative Team, Gerard Winn, Director of Education, extended congratulations to Chair Forster and Vice-Chair Beatty.

“I want to extend our gratitude to our Durham Catholic District School Board Trustees whose strategic decision-making makes a difference in the lives of our students, staff and families,” said Director Winn. “Congratulations to Chair Forster and Vice-Chair Beatty – I look forward to serving with you in the year ahead. Your leadership and dedication to our system is fundamental to supporting learning environments where all students can thrive academically, spiritually, and personally. We are blessed at Durham Catholic to have a committed and passionate group of individuals leading our Board.”

2025 Durham Catholic District School Board of Trustees 

Chair of the Board: Monique Forster, Trustee for the Town of Ajax
Vice-Chair of the Board: Kim Beatty, Trustee for the City of Oshawa

Trustees:

  • Kim Beatty, City of Oshawa
  • Richard Damianopoulos, Townships of Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock
  • Robert De Souza, Town of Whitby
  • Janelle Emanuel, Town of Whitby
  • Monique Forster, Town of Ajax
  • Marisa Hall, Town of Ajax
  • Jim McCafferty, City of Pickering
  • Morgan Ste. Marie, City of Oshawa

Student Trustees:

  • Ololade Aje
  • Aoife Walsh

Please visit our website for further information about the DCDSB Board of Trustees.