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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisor joins board

Positive strides
Posted on 01/30/2023
Michael Regis

The WECDSB has taken a major step forward in creating more diverse and equitable environments in its schools and offices with the hiring of a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor.


Michael Regis began in the new role on Dec 19, 2022 and is eager to begin making positive strides within the school board and the broader community. 


“My role will be to provide guidance to the Board's leadership, and to develop programs within the organization to make it more inclusive,” said Regis, who brings a wealth of experience to the position. “That includes creating strong partnerships with our stakeholders within the community, and with parents, so that we can build trust, understanding and respect together.”


Some of his immediate priorities include developing a human rights policy, and a human rights concerns process that is compliant with the Ontario Human Rights Code, as well as board policies that deal with equity, diversity and inclusion. He’ll also assist in the development of data collection practices that identify any existing organizational biases, gaps or issues in hiring practices, diversity in the workforce and lived experiences of employees, and work towards improving them.


“We’ve always placed a very high premium on being an inclusive school board where our staff and students feel safe, respected and welcome,” said Emelda Byrne, Director of Education, “however we acknowledge that we still have significant work to do in order to meet the expectations we have set for ourselves. We recently established an Equity Action Plan for our board which outlines some very specific goals and we believe Michael will play an instrumental role in implementing that plan. We were very impressed by his credentials and professionalism, and we believe he’s the right person to help us move forward in the areas of equity, diversity and inclusion.”


Prior to joining the WECDSB, Regis was Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan; a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at Indigenous Services Canada; a Human Resource Specialist in Diversity and Inclusion with the City of Red Deer; and completed his Masters’ degree practicum as a Diversity and Inclusion Project Manager with the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Advisory Committee.
Check out this interview with Michael:

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