Alice Guss, who also goes by the traditional Aboriginal name of Tsawaysia Spukwus, last week entered the contest to fill Squamish's two seats on the Sea to Sky School District (District 48) board of trustees.
Guss's entry brings to four the number of people seeking the two seats in the Nov. 19 election. Incumbents Rick Price and Andrea Beaubien and newcomer Bianca Peters had earlier declared their candidacy. The nomination period ended on Friday (Oct. 14).
Guss, who has spent 20 years in education as a tutorial aide and home-school co-ordinator with District 48 and as education director for both the Squamish and Tsawwassen First Nations, sits on the board of the Squamish Community Foundation and is a member and former director with the Squamish Historical Society.
Guss has also worked to help infuse the local Squamish Nation culture into the school system. She was instrumental, for example, in helping to bring a carved "welcome figure" totem to Howe Sound Secondary School.
She said she believes education is a collaborative effort and that as a trustee, she would be both a good listener and a voice for students and parents.
"With the district, I would like to have education drive the budget rather than the budget drive education," Guss said. "Yes, there is a bottom line with the budget, but I think we should be trying to see what the community wants and have that drive our actions.
"I know when I was in education, if there was a problem, we worked at it together as a team. Squamish Nation and the school district, we worked at it. I would use that same concept with the whole community of Squamish - that everyone has a voice."
Also on Friday, Laura Godfrey - who currently represents Squamish-Lillooet Regional District Area D (Britannia Beach, Furry Creek, Ring Creek, upper Squamish and Paradise valleys and Pinecrest/Black Tusk) on the board - was acclaimed to another three-year term on the District 48 board. Godfrey was the only person to put her name forward in nomination for the post.
