(From Left to Right: Superintendent Renald Cousineau, Superintendent Jacqueline Poirier, Superintendent Jenny Smith, Director of Education Dr. Pino Buffone, Superintendent Kristin Riddell, Superintendent Jennifer Barnes, Executive Officer Meredith Caplan Jamieson)
Our local public school board will be looking for a new Director of Education.
After six years in the role, Dr. Pino Buffone will be moving on from the Renfrew County District School Board on August 1st for a similar position with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.
The RCDSB’s Board of Trustees Chair, Susan Humphries, calls Buffone an “exemplary leader,” adding that he leaves behind a team “committed to excellence in teaching and learning, with a shared vision of providing students with the advantages they need to excel in and out of the classroom.”
She points to Buffone’s vision to bring the option of French immersion to all students starting in kindergarten and growing through Grade 12 as just part of his impact on children attending school in the Renfrew County area.
While she says that they are losing a great leader, Humphries does note that it’s “a credit to the significant difference” Buffone has made locally that “his leadership is being sought to tackle the challenges ahead in a large and diverse school board.”
The RCDSB will hire an interim director to take over when Buffone leaves on August 1st and will begin their search for a permanent replacement in the fall.
(written by Kasey Egan)