Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Certification
Interests
Timeline
Awards
Federation Experience
Teacher

Craig Smith

London,ON

Summary

Dynamic educator and union leader with a proven track record with the Thames Valley District School Board, and the ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local, excelling in communication, operations management and strategic planning. Successfully led collective bargaining campaigns and local engagement strategies, fostering collaboration and enhancing organizational visibility. Adept at building effective teams and promoting diversity, ensuring a welcoming environment for all.

Overview

25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Teacher

Thames Valley District School Board
09.2000 - Current
  • Developed and implemented engaging lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards.
  • Fostered positive classroom environment to enhance student learning and participation.
  • Utilized various teaching strategies to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities.
  • Collaborated with colleagues to design interdisciplinary projects that promote critical thinking skills.


Local President

ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local
07.2013 - 06.2025
  • Communicated local perspectives on all issues in education with local media (television, radio, print).
  • Led successfully the local collective bargaining table team through three (3) rounds of local collective bargaining.
  • Led the development of community engagement strategies to enhance local outreach initiatives.
  • Championed diversity and inclusion efforts, creating a welcoming environment for all members of the community.
  • Coordinated local event planning and execution to foster member engagement, involvement and collaboration.
  • Hired and managed local support staff.
  • Prepared annual budgets and monitored organizational performance to meet organizational objectives.
  • Promoted transparency in decision-making processes by involving local executive members in committee discussions and votes.
  • Established and maintained local fiscal responsibility by diligently adhering to sound accounting practices and annual audits of both local and corporation budgets.
  • Upheld organizational values by modeling integrity and ethical behavior in all interactions both internally and externally.
  • Directed technological improvements in communication.
  • Collaborated in creating and presenting business plans to the local executive and corporation board of directors.
  • Cultivated strong relationships with community partners to foster collaboration and maximize community impact.
  • Managed day-to-day operations of the local.
  • Spearheaded public relations campaigns to increase visibility and positive perception of the organization within the community.

Vice President

ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local
07.2005 - 06.2013
  • Key lead in community outreach, teacher performance appraisal, member representation in matters of conduct, and district staffing.
  • Collective bargaining local table team member for three (3) rounds of collective bargaining.
  • Created succession plans to provide continuity of operations during leadership transitions.
  • Spearheaded organizational restructuring initiatives, streamlining operations and reducing overhead costs.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science/History

Queen's University
Kingston, ON
04.1990

Bachelor of Education - Education

University of Windsor
Windsor, ON
06.2000

Skills

  • Operations management
  • Partnership building
  • Press communication expertise
  • Building effective teams
  • Leadership in organization
  • Team leadership
  • Decision-making
  • Confident speaking abilities and strong writing skills
  • Effective strategic planning
  • Crisis management
  • Partnership development
  • Effective negotiation

Accomplishments

  • Effective local leader for 20 years
  • Supervised team of 11 staff members
  • Collaborated with team of 260 in the development of collective bargaining preliminary submissions.
  • Transitioned a strong and effective local to new leadership.

Affiliations

  • Member of the New Democratic Party of Canada and the Ontario New Democratic Party since 1983

Certification

  • Certified Negotiator, Stitt Feld Handy/Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University (2023)

Interests

  • Getting involved in local advocacy groups to promote positive change in the community with a particular focus on supporting the homeless and street engaged
  • Participating in fundraising events to support local charities, schools, or community projects
  • Music (classically trained double bassist)
  • Exploring various forms of art, instrumental and vocal, to nurture creativity and personal growth

Timeline

Local President

ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local
07.2013 - 06.2025

Vice President

ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local
07.2005 - 06.2013

Teacher

Thames Valley District School Board
09.2000 - Current

Bachelor of Arts - Political Science/History

Queen's University

Bachelor of Education - Education

University of Windsor

Awards

Canada 150 medal recipient for community service

Labour United Labour Activist Award

Federation Experience

Annual Meeting Delegate

Provincial Representative Council Delegate

Representative Council Steering Committee

Provincial Budget Committee

Provincial Political Action Standing Committee

ETFO Community Engagement Task Force

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Craig Smith