A lifelong educator who has spent 34 years with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board will soon become its ninth Director of Education, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer.
John Ulicny will succeed current Director Emelda Byrne when she retires on August 1, 2026.
"As a senior member of our Catholic school board's administrative team, John has demonstrated that he's a highly accomplished and effective leader," said WECDSB Chair Lisa Soulliere, who announced Ulicny's appointment at the special board meeting this evening. "His commitment to Catholic education is unwavering, he has a tremendous amount of experience and we're confident that under his leadership our students, our staff, and our community will continue to benefit for many years to come."
Currently the Executive Superintendent of Human Resources, Ulicny began his career as a secondary teacher in 1992 at St. Anne Catholic High School. He taught at St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School, where he also served as Vice-Principal from 2003-07, before moving to F.J. Brennan Catholic High School to serve in the same capacity from 2007-09. He was then appointed Principal at Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School until 2010 when he moved to the board's administrative offices to become a Superintendent of Education. He then served as a Superintendent of Human Resources from 2015 until 2021 when he moved into his present Executive role.
"I'm extremely grateful to be provided with the opportunity to lead our Catholic school board and very thankful for the trustees and the confidence they have placed in me," Ulicny said. "Our school board has been on an upward trajectory for many years now. Our enrollment continues to grow, we are on solid financial footing, and we continue to introduce exciting new programs for our students. That's a testament to a strong administrative team that enjoys a collaborative relationship with our Trustees, but also to the people in our schools, our classrooms and our offices who work so hard on behalf of our students and their families."
Current Director of Education Emelda Byrne also expressed confidence in her successor.
"John brings a wealth of experience to the position," she said. "He has a strong understanding of Ontario education legislation, policy and governance and extensive knowledge in labour relations, contract negotiations and organizational development. He understands the cultural diversity of our community and is committed to creating inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments that promote student well-being. He also understands the needs of our local economy and how we can develop innovative programming that will help our students live meaningful, purposeful lives. I certainly wish John all the best in his new role."
For more information
1325 California Ave.
Windsor Ontario
Canada N9B 3Y6
www.wecdsb.on.ca
