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McWhinnie appointed assistant superintendent of technology

Mark McWhinnie has been appointed as the new assistant superintendent of technology services for Wolf Creek Public Schools

Mark McWhinnie has been appointed as the new assistant superintendent of technology services for Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS), effective Sept. 1. McWhinnie will replace Gary Spence who will be stepping down from the position. Spence will be retained by the division on a part-time continuing basis looking after several outstanding strategic projects. The competition attracted a strong field of candidates from across Canada.

“Mark has been a dedicated and supportive leader in Wolf Creek Public Schools, especially in regards to ensuring that technology addresses our student needs and aligns perfectly with the vision we have established for our school division,” commented superintendent Larry Jacobs. “He has worked at all levels of our organization and has excelled in each of these roles. This has given him the background to be an effective contributor towards our vision and allowed him to develop the leadership skills that are critical to the implementation of our goals.”

“I am humbled by the support of the interview team, the board of trustees, and the Wolf Creek community who have provided me with this opportunity in leadership. The strong leadership that Mr. Spence has provided, along with the deep commitment of staff that I have enjoyed working with over the years has provided an incredible foundation to build upon,” said McWhinnie. “I look forward to working with the senior leadership team in continuing to support the building of excellent learning environments for all students in Wolf Creek.”

McWhinnie holds a master’s of education degree from the University of Calgary, and a bachelor of education degree from the Canadian University College. He started his teaching career in 1995 and has since held positions as a classroom teacher, assistant principal at Ponoka Elementary School, principal of Bluffton School, the WCPS Information and Communications Technology Implementation Review facilitator, and most recently, since 2008, as the WCPS director of technology integration. In his role as the director of technology integration, he has provided support and direction for all learners by infusing technology and curriculum outcomes in order to build powerful learning environments. This involved leading and overseeing a high functioning technical team and working collaboratively with school based leaders to support 21st century learning opportunities.

During the past four years, McWhinnie has been involved in speaking at a variety of national and international conferences focused on using technology as a learning tool. He has also spent considerable time building capacity within WCPS through various workshops on emerging and purposeful learning technologies.

McWhinnie and his family enjoy living in Lacombe where his wife Marica is a teacher, AISI leader, and  instructional technology facilitator at Terrace Ridge School. Their daughter, Brooke, is in Grade 5 and is an avid dancer and enjoys a number of fine arts activities.