The director of education for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) is calling it a career.
Terry Lyons made the announcement at the board of directors meeting Tuesday night. The 57 year old has worked in education for more than 32 years, starting his career in the Toronto area before spending 16 years with the Greater Essex County District School Board.
Lyons was named executive superintendent of human resources at the WECDSB in 2015 and took over as director of education after Paul Picard retired in October of 2017.
He says he's comfortable with his decision now that the board has made it through the toughest parts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The board was left in a good position when Paul Picard retired and I wanted to make sure I did the same," he says. "One of the biggest things is we wanted to make sure that we have a succession plan and we've done a great job with that and it's time for somebody else to take the helm."
Lyons is proud of the connections he's made with students and colleagues.
"Over the years I've had the opportunity and fortune enough to have great people around me," says Lyons. "Our senior team as an organization has done a great job and I've had the opportunity to learn from them as I've moved forward in all different aspects."
The board has plenty of internal candidates that are ready to take over, according to Lyons.
"We have a lot of great people and I think a lot of people with a lot of different talents," he says. "The seat won't have a chance to get cold because someone will be doing a great job in that seat following me."
Lyons says he's looking forward to spending more time on hobbies like scuba diving. He also has a daughter attending medical school in Ireland he plans to visit when travel restrictions are lifted.
The board will begin the process of finding a successor immediately with Lyons’ last day set for July 31.