West Quebec School Board names Mike Dubeau new DG

The Council of Commissioners of the Western Québec School Board (WQSB) announced in late November the appointment of Mike Dubeau as its new Director General, effective January 1, 2017.

“He’s a homegrown candidate from our school community. He lives here and grew up in the Pontiac. He did his schooling in the area before going off to university,” commented James Shea, WQSB Chairman.

As was the case with the previous DG, the WQSB has hired from within, and Mr Shea sees that as a positive thing.

“The advantages are that you get someone who knows the system and the personnel; there are tremendous advantages in an internal candidate. No, I don’t think there are disadvantages,” Shea told the Bulletin.

The WQSB advertised the position nationally, provincially and internally and “received significant applications,” noted Shea.

Dubeau started his career at WQSB as a teacher in 1993, becoming a principal in 1998. In 2008, Dubeau became the Assistant Director of Education and moved on to the position of Director of Education and Technology in 2010. He’s currently the Director of Human Resources, School Organization & Transportation.

“Each new position at the board was a learning curve. He did them all with energy and dedication; tact and diplomacy are his hallmarks,” added Shea.

Mr Dubeau holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration with a concentration in Organizational Studies and is fluently bilingual. He has developed a teacher-evaluation framework and process and developed a highly acclaimed induction program for new teachers. Shea credits Mr Dubeau for the high quality of teachers within the WQSB.

DG Paul Lamoureux left the WQSB in August to become Director General of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board in the Laurentides.