Joé Bélanger elected President of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation

ROSEMÈRE, QC, Oct 8 /CNW Telbec/ - At their regular meeting on September 30, members of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation Board of Directors unanimously elected Mr. Joé Bélanger as President of their important charitable organization. This means Mr. Bélanger succeeds Mr. François Ghali who has served as the Foundation's President since its creation in 2005. Mr. Ghali retains his position on the board as Past President.

The Foundation's officers are proud to confer the presidency on a member of the regional business community known for his leadership and his can-do commitment to various social and community causes.  

Director General of the Caisse Desjardins Thérèse-De Blainville since 2006, Joé Bélanger is a manager with over twenty years of experience in the financial services industry. While pursuing is professional career, he became involved with a number of socio-economic and community organizations, including: the Société de développement économique Thérèse-De Blainville (SODET), the Pôle universitaire des Basses-Laurentides, the Saint-Eustache Hospital Foundation, and the Fondation Drapeau et Deschambault. He joined the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation in 2006 and took part in the major annual fundraising campaign that resulted in the provision of a Smartboard for each of the Board's schools.

Joé Bélanger states he is proud, and grateful for the Foundation's mark of confidence, but above all happy to contribute, alongside experienced and committed officers, to the achievement of the Foundation's objectives and mission. "As a parent, as a citizen and as a business, education must be at the heart of our concerns. Making it a priority is about choosing to bring together all the winning conditions in order to provide our youth with the schooling that will allow them, in turn, to become contributing citizens for their communities. There is no doubt that schooling and the prevention of dropping out are challenges to addressing the manpower shortage that threatens our businesses," concluded Mr. Bélanger.

About the foundation

The mission statement of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation is to promote and sustain educational, cultural, recreational, artistic and athletic programs in cooperation with its partners.

To this end, it will contribute to the organization of activities and projects promoting the development of student abilities. It will also help fund the acquisition of teaching aids and technological equipment and support student publications as well as projects and programs that encourage students to continue their studies.

Created in 2005, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation is a recognized non-profit organization which solicits funds from the public and businesses in order to carry out its activities.

Since its creation, the Foundation has redistributed almost $400,000. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is the third largest English school board in Québec. Its territory spans three administrative regions (Laval, the Laurentides and Lanaudière). Its 15,000 students - in both the youth and adult sectors - attend classes in 26 elementary schools, 12 secondary schools and 4 vocational and general training centres.

For further information:

Maxeen Jolin
Communications Coordinator
Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board
450 621-5600, ext. 1385
[email protected]