Alberta will be well represented on the CCSTA Board of Directors.
Tony Sykora has recently been named the CCSTA Alberta Director and has a wealth of work and Catholic education experience.
Attending Catholic schools in Edmonton his entire elementary and high school career, Mr. Sykora wanted to emulate that same experience for his children.
“I believe a faith-based education based on the Gospel Values of Jesus Christ is essential for the development of young people as they shape future societies,” he says.
He follows that same insight when it comes to his own involvement within the Catholic education school system in Alberta. Living in Sherwood Park, he first became involved as a parent volunteer and a school council member. Then, encouraged by peers to run for the school trustee position in 1998, Mr. Sykora embraced that opportunity and was successful in his bid. He has since become Chair of Elk Island Catholic Schools for the last six years.
Municipal Work
Mr. Sykora’s career mirrors much of what he does as a school board trustee.
Working at Alberta Municipal Affairs as a municipal advisor, Mr. Sykora regularly works with municipalities to assist them with day-to-day operational issues, issues of governance and the interpretation of legislation.
“I often travel to municipalities to conduct workshops and provide various other supports,” he explains.
His work has provided him the opportunity to listen to issues within an organization and he has to drive and determination to help facilitate and provide solutions to these problems.
He hopes to bring this expertise to the CCSTA table.
Coming to CCSTA
Joining on with CCSTA late last year, Mr. Sykora says he hopes to bring the Alberta story to CCSTA and learn from the wisdom of other national partners to assist with the Catholic education journey at home.
“I am eager to gain the national perspective on Catholic education and further participate in the many successes and challenges that we face as we move into the future,” he says.
There’s little doubt Mr. Sykora is passionate about Catholic education and what it can provide to Canadians across the country.
“Although Catholic education is protected by constitutional guarantees, it is important to never get complacent about the gift of Catholic education. It is even more important to demonstrate to other Catholics that we provide an education to our young people that honours the mission of the Catholic Church,” he says. “We must also demonstrate and articulate that Catholic education provides excellent value to society as a whole.”
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