---
title: "Laurie Larsen elected chair of Surrey Board of Education at inaugural meeting"
description: "Trustees elected Laurie Larsen chair and Bob Holmes vice-chair at the new Surrey Board of Education's inaugural meeting on November 4. Larsen has served as a trustee for 18 years."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/surrey-2026/news/surrey-board-of-education-inaugural-larsen-chair-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-07T04:22:10.153Z"
---

Trustees at the new Surrey Board of Education elected [Laurie Larsen](/bc/surrey-2026/candidates/laurie-larsen) as chair and [Bob Holmes](/bc/surrey-2026/candidates/bob-holmes) as vice-chair at the board's inaugural meeting on November 4, the Cloverdale Reporter reported on November 5.

Larsen has served as a Surrey school trustee for 18 years. She was formerly president of CUPE Local 402, the union that represents many of the district's support workers. Holmes has served more than 12 years as a trustee and is in his fifth year on the BC School Trustees Association provincial board, where he serves as vice-president.

## Who sits on the board

Six trustees were sworn in at the November 4 meeting: Terry Allen, Laurie Larsen, Bob Holmes, Shawn Wilson, Michelle Ceniza and Laura Lattanzio. A seventh seat remains unresolved. Trustee-elect Garry Thind will be disqualified when he is sworn in as a BC Conservative MLA on November 19, leaving the seat vacant. Whether that seat is filled by a byelection or a court order under the Local Government Act has not been decided.

## What the district oversees

Superintendent Mark Pearmain said at the inaugural meeting: "Trustees are strong advocates for our students, staff and families, and they provide the governance and strategic oversight that guide B.C.'s largest school district." The district serves more than 83,000 students across more than 130 schools and employs more than 13,000 people, according to the Indo-Canadian Voice.

## What comes next

Larsen said she was looking forward to continuing to serve the families of Surrey and White Rock. "Alongside our returning trustees, I am excited to continue serving the families of Surrey and White Rock," she said, as quoted by the Cloverdale Reporter. The board's next regular meeting is December 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the District Education Centre. Parents and residents can follow board decisions and meeting agendas on the Surrey Schools website.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/surrey-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.