Quadra Director Jim Abram has been elected the new chair of the Strathcona Regional District board.
The board of directors voted through secret ballot at Thursday’s inaugural board meeting to replace outgoing chair, Director Ted Lewis, who declined a re-nomination from Tahsis Director Jude Schooner.
Abram was nominated for the position of chair by Area D Director Gerald Whalley and faced off against city councillor and director Claire Moglove who was nominated by councillor and director Mary Storry.
Before the vote, Abram and Moglove were each given a few minutes to present their case to the rest of the board.
Abram, who was nominated first, spoke first and highlighted his experience in chairing a meeting.
“I have been chair of the board before and as demonstrated at a recent meeting, I can run an effective meeting at a good pace, allowing for discussion, but keeping order,” said Abram who added he could help bring the board together. “Our board has indicated that it wants to work together and I can facilitate that.
“I work extremely hard at everything I take on and do whatever needs to be done to achieve our goals.”
Moglove also spoke about bringing the board together to form a more cohesive unit.
“I think our meetings have gone astray, they’ve gotten too personal,” Moglove said. “I would like to get our meetings back on track.
“I would like to bring the electoral committee and the greater board together and get more on track because I think there’s been some divisiveness.
“I’d like to work together better as a board. We seem to have lost our way a bit.”
Moglove also noted that as chair of the hospital board she has experience in running a meeting and she ensured the board that if elected, she would represent decisions made by the board no matter her own opinion – something Moglove has called Mayor Walter Jakeway out on in the past for not doing with city council.
After Moglove’s pitch, directors filled out their ballots and Tom Yates, corporate services manager for the regional district, announced Abram as the new chair.