Port Alberni resident Karrine Magnussen has announced she will be running as a School District 70 trustee.
Magnussen announced her intent to run for city councillor in June, but on Thursday, Sept. 6 she posted on Facebook that she will be withdrawing this intent and asking for a place at the table as a school trustee.
“Since that announcement, I have been visiting a variety of different neighbourhoods and taking time to listen to the concerns our residents have,” she explained.
“Through these discussions I have come to realize that while I may be an asset as a candidate for councilor, my skills and experience may have a larger impact in helping to build a strong and healthy community serving as a school board trustee.”
Magnussen, who grew up in the Alberni Valley, has had children enrolled in School District 70 over the last 16 years. During this time, she has served as an executive member on three different Parent Advisory Councils (Maquinna, EJ Dunn and ADSS) and has stayed up to date with changes in British Columbia’s curriculum standards.
“I am already an advocate for education and families,” she said. “Education is changing, technology is changing, enrolment has declined, and school districts have been faced with some hard choices over the last ten years. These changes have impacted many families in our community, including mine.”
Magnussen holds a unique career history in two distinct paths—community living and Internet development/design—both of which fostered skills in management, communication, project planning and advocacy. She brings these skills to the table along with a strong desire to work with other community leaders and residents to build a strong community.
Magnussen can be found most mornings around town, sharing coffee with residents, as part of her new project: creating an online magazine that features the stories of the people and places of Port Alberni.
To learn more about Magnussen you can call her directly, or visit the following online resources: https://www.facebook.com/KarrineMagnussen, http://twitter.com/hermedia or her website, www.KarrineMagnussen.com.