The newest member of the Chinook School Division's Board of Education was introduced yesterday afternoon.

Sub-Division Four's new trustee Katelyn Toney was officially sworn in at the Chinook Education Centre during the Division's monthly meeting.

"It took me two elections to get here (as a school board trustee), so I'm pumped to be here," Toney said. "It feels really official, I was at a planning meeting two weeks ago, but it's now the real deal because I've signed the oath and everything, so it's exciting."

The Tompkins area resident now becomes the trustee for Wymark, Gull Lake and Tompkins, as well as seven Hutterian schools.

Toney will be taking over Sub-Division Four's seat from the late Bernie Ford and already has one aspect she wants to improve upon.

"I want to beef up the communication between the board and the people that we serve," the mother-of-four added. "I think a lot of people sometimes feel a little bit frustrated, especially in difficult financial times and that people aren't hearing what they want and that they're being left out of the decision-making."

The rancher and photographer was elected on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, over running-mate Brent Castle, winning the vote 163-94.

Toney will join the Chinook School Division's nine other Trustees who have been elected until October 2020.