PURCELL COLLEGIATE SCHOOL
ADVISORY BOARD
With the support and guidance of our Advisory Board, Purcell Collegiate School is working towards accreditation by the BC Inspector of Independent Schools and memberships to the Independent School Association BC and the Canadian Association of Independent Schools.
DAVE BYNG
Dave Byng is the former Deputy Minister of Education for the Province of British Columbia, a position he held from 2014 until 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw BC’s $6.5 billion K-12 education system, including implementing a new globally recognised curriculum.
Dave has over a decade of experience in senior executive roles with the Province of British Columbia, including positions in the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the British Columbia Railway Company, the British Columbia Public Service Agency, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.
He currently provides strategic advice to corporate, public sector and not-for-profit clients. He also serves on Royal Roads University’s Board of Governors and as a Special Advisor to the President and chairs its Finance and Audit Committee.
Additionally, Dave represents the Government of Japan as an Honorary Consul General in Victoria, BC, Canada. He holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University, a Certificate of Intercultural Studies from the University of British Columbia and a Certificate of Advanced Project Management from Stanford University.
He is a recipient of the Premier’s Award of Excellence and the Royal Roads University Founder’s Award.
DIANNE TURNER
Dianne Turner is a former Official Trustee for the Vancouver School District, where she was responsible for setting education policy. She has been a Special Advisor with the Vancouver School Board, a position she held until 2018. In 2016, Dianne was appointed by the Ministry of Education as the first Chief Educator for the Province of British Columbia.
Dianne has held positions as the Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent to the Delta School District. She is a former high-school science teacher and department head with experience as a Vice-Principal and Principal at several Vancouver School Board schools.
Dianne currently provides educational leadership advice to the BC Ministry of Education, school boards, superintendents, and numerous educational organizations.
Dianne holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Simon Fraser University and is currently in the dissertation stage of the SFU Educational Leadership Doctoral program.
PETER FROESE
Peter is an internationally recognized educator and administrator who has provided leadership in the public, independent, and post-secondary sectors in British Columbia. He completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy at UBC in 2010 and is a contributing author of a book entitled, What Every Teacher Needs to Know: Topics of Inclusion, published by Wipf and Stock, 2017.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg, a Teacher Certification diploma from UBC, a Master of Educational Leadership from the University of Victoria and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from UBC.
His experience in education includes 20 years in the public sector with the Richmond and Abbotsford School Districts, as well as four years as teacher and administrator with the Department of National Defense in Lahr, Germany. In 1997, he was recruited to become Superintendent of MEI Schools in Abbotsford, where an elementary and middle school were established under his leadership.
From 2010-2018 Peter was the Executive Director of the Federation of Independent Schools (FISA) in British Columbia, advocating on behalf of 310 independent schools and 83,000 students. In 2018, Peter was recruited as Superintendent of China Maple Leaf Educational Systems, where he served for three years. He was responsible for 15 BC certified schools in China, enrolling 8,000 students and supported by 400 teachers and support staff.
PIETER LANGSTRAAT
Pieter Langstraat has over 30 years of experience in public education. Since 2018, he has worked as a Special Advisor to the BC Ministry of Education in three school districts to conduct evaluations and assist school boards with educational, financial or community matters.
He also works with the BC Ministry of Education as an Offshore Schools Inspector and Sector Liaison, Framework for Enhanced Student Learning, and was a member of the Ministry of Education’s COVID-19 Response Team.
He is formerly the Superintendent of Schools and CEO for the Red Deer Public School District, overseeing 10,350 students, 1100 employees, and a $110 million budget. Pieter also worked for the Greater Victoria School District, where he was responsible for the education of 22,500 students, 2000 employees, and an annual budget of $220 million.
Pieter holds a Master’s degree from the University of Oregon in Educational Leadership and Administration. He is the recipient of the Province of Alberta’s EXL Award for Exemplary Leadership in Education and its Excellence in Teaching Award.