Lori Pratt, Board of Education chair for School District No. 46 (SD46), says she will be running to replace Garry Nohr as Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) director for Area B, Halfmoon Bay.
“I think we need a more diverse, balanced perspective at the SCRD level. Garry Nohr said he is not running again, so it certainly opens up for people to run in that area,” said Pratt, who lives in Area B.
“I think I have a lot to offer as a regional director.”
Nohr stood as chair of the SCRD from 2011 to 2017 and has been Area B director since 2005. He announced in 2016 he would not be seeking re-election.
Pratt has yet to decide whether she will also run as trustee for SD46.
“Legally you can do both, but also I need to work. It’s a big time commitment, so I’m still in the process of weighing my options,” said Pratt.
“I still believe I have a lot to offer the school district, but I also believe I have a lot to offer the regional district.”
And even though nobody has occupied both roles simultaneously, she said it can be done. “Is it any different than having the mayor of Sechelt being the chair of the SCRD? He’s running a dual role and I’d suggest his workload is probably a lot more… I have teenage children and I’m running a business as a realtor.”
Pratt was elected as school board chair in December 2017, replacing Betty Baxter. She has served as trustee at SD46 for nine years. She was first elected in 2008 for Rural Area 1 and re-elected by acclamation in 2011 and 2014. She served as vice chair on the board for five years (2010-11, 2013-17).
Pratt grew up in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. In 1994, she moved to the Sunshine Coast. She was a stay-at-home mom raising three daughters, and volunteered for parent advisory councils at Madeira Park Elementary and Pender Harbour Secondary. She now works as a realtor with Royal LePage Sussex.
