Last Thursday's (January 25) Rocky View school board meeting concluded with members of the Rocky View staff crowding into the Education Centre's Wildrose Room to give standing applause and an appropriate sendoff to one of their own.

It was the last school board meeting for Darrell Couture, Associate Superintendent of Business and Operations. Couture has worked in that capacity for the last 29 years and will retire in early February.

Couture said over the last three decades, there have been many things to be proud of.

"There's, I think, lots of improvement that we as a team have made, whether that be to school facilities, building a new Education Centre with minimal debt. That was a proud accomplishment."

Both School Board Chair Todd Brand and Superintendent Greg Luterbach shared sentiments of appreciation for Couture. In later interviews, they echoed those sentiments.

Brand said Couture has been nothing less than a rock of stability in a rapidly changing and growing school division, and he's leaving a lasting legacy for both current and future students in Rocky View.

"There are kids who are not even born yet and who are not attending Rocky View schools yet and will join our schools in ten, fifteen years. They're still going to benefit. Those kids are going to benefit from decisions that Darrell has made over the years."

Luterbach also said Couture has been a cornerstone for the division.

"Certainly I personally have appreciated his sage advice, his wisdom. Darrell takes a long-term view on things. He's not interested in what the short-term solution is. Darrell's looking ten, fifteen, twenty-five years, so he encourages us all to have that look."

Couture said you'd think holding a job for 29 years would get stale, but it never was.

"This job has changed so dramatically over the 29 years. When I came here, there were just over 8,000 kids and now there's almost 24,000, so it's grown by three times and it's one of the larger jurisdictions in Alberta and really in Canada. It's been dynamic, ever-changing, so it's been an exciting 29 years."

Couture has mixed feelings about his retirement, saying he'll miss his colleagues and friends. Ultimately, he's excited about the next adventure.

Couture's replacement, Larry Paul, also attended the meeting for the first time. Couture said he believes Paul is up for the job.

 

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