A well-known local businessman has become the third person to enter the race to fill the vacancy on the New Westminster school board.
Alejandro Diaz has announced he’ll be running as an independent in the school board byelection. As a New West resident, parent of three students in the school system and a local business owner, Diaz feels he has a valuable perspective to bring to the board.
“We need a calm and reasoned approach to discussing crucial topics facing us. Students with special needs, students identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, students from diverse backgrounds, all deserve a place in our district,” he said in a statement announcing his candidacy. “Inclusive education fosters a culture of respect and belonging. It's also a great opportunity to learn and accept individual differences, and provides our kids with opportunities to interact with groups who have traditionally been excluded.”
Diaz, managing director of el Santo in New Westminster and NOX Restaurant in Vancouver, worked in finance before embarking on a career in the restaurant industry. He believes his background in finance would be useful as a school trustee.
Diaz is the third candidate to announce they’ll be running to fill a seat vacated by Dee Beattie. Kathleen Carlsen will be the candidate for the New West Progressives and Shawn Sorensen will run as an independent.
Diaz, who previously ran for school board in the October 2018 election, said he only began campaigning a month before that election. He said community members have encouraged him to run again.
“Last time, the time wasn’t right for me. I was still working on another project, so that’s why I couldn’t run a normal election,” he said. “Now is the right time. I think now is a good time.”
A father of kids in grades 4, 8 and 10, Diaz said he decided to run in the byelection because he believes there are issues still needing to be addressed. He outlined some of the priorities he would pursue on school board:
- Staying on top of the school district’s needs for schools as the city’s population continues to grow. This includes advocating to the provincial government for sufficient capital funding.
- Finding ways to support teachers who daily must deal with more that the “three Rs.”
- Addressing the “discrepancy” between opportunities for youth in Queensborough and the rest of the city.
- Creating safe schools for all students in the system – schools that ensure physical, emotional and intellectual safety.
As a parent of a child who is on the autism spectrum, Diaz said he knows the importance of addressing issues of special needs and inclusion in schools.
Diaz, who recently became a member of the New Westminster police board, told the Record that safety in schools is another issue he’d like to address. He’d like to explore the idea of creating safety committees at schools.
A position has opened up on the school board following the resignation of Dee Beattie, after it was revealed she had used a fake Twitter account to troll parents and other individuals.
Community First New West, which holds the majority of seats on school board, has yet to name a candidate in the byelection.
