Meet the Township candidates for Langley’s school board

The Langley civic election is set for Oct. 17. The Langley Advance Times invited every candidate to complete a basic profile for readers, and all candidates took part. The guide covers candidates for mayor, council and school trustee. Voters will choose one mayor from two candidates. Township voters will elect eight councillors from 20 candidates, while City voters will elect six from 16. The Board of Education has seven trustee seats: Township voters select five and City voters select the other two. There are 15 Township trustee candidates and five City candidates. The newspaper hopes the guide helps voters decide whom to support in the 2026 civic election.

**CANDY ASHDOWN**

Ashdown is running with Langley Strong. She served as a Langley Board of Education trustee from 2011 to 2014 and was elected again in 2022. Her fellow trustees elected her chair in November 2022, and she has held that role throughout the current term. She is also a constituency adviser at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. She is 52 and has lived in Langley for 49 years, in Salmon River Uplands. Contact: (604) 546-5440 or candyashdown@langleystrong.ca.

She says she is running because she cares about public education and every child’s right to a good education. She wants to advocate for new schools, support students and staff, listen to families and strengthen the partnership between the school district and the Township.

**MATT BURCK**

Burck is running with Progress for Langley. He is the director of sales and ticket operations for the Vancouver Giants, is 38, and lives in Murrayville. He has been in Langley for seven years. Contact: burck.matt@gmail.com or 778-809-9742.

He says that as a father and community builder, he knows schools thrive when families, educators and organizations work together for young people. He is running for trustee to help ensure Langley students have the resources and opportunities to succeed.

**KATHIE DALZIEL**

Dalziel is running with Langley Strong. She is a mother and medical secretary at BC Cancer, and is 50. She lives in Walnut Grove, where she was a renter for at least five years before owning a home for 11 years. Contact: KathieDalziel@langleystrong.ca or https://langleystrong.ca/team/kathie-dalziel/.

She says education is essential and that she believes in equity, accessibility, inclusion, transparency and accountability. As a parent, she wants what is best for her daughter and strives to make the Langley School District the best in Canada.

**HOLLY DICKINSON**

Dickinson is running with Langley Strong and is currently a Langley trustee. She is a teacher, 44, and has lived in Langley for about 24 years. She lives in Brookswood. Contact: HollyDickinson@LangleyStrong.ca or the Facebook page Holly Dickinson for SD35 at facebook.com.

She says public education is both her profession and her passion. She is running again because students and staff deserve strong voices at the board table, and she wants to keep advocating for the schools and community she loves.

**JARED EVANS**

Evans is running as an independent. He ran for MP in 2006 and MLA in 2009. He works in retail management, is 48, and lives in Willowbrook. He has lived in Langley for eight years. Contact: 778-668-4436 or evansjared@me.com.

He says he wants to bring his retail and people-leadership experience to the board so students can get the best education possible. He wants to build relationships, collaborate and strive for excellence, including advocating for provincial government funding. He describes himself as an experienced manager and leader of people.

**CHARLIE FOX**

Fox is running with the Langley Strong slate. He served four terms on Township of Langley council from 2005 to 2018 and has been a trustee at SD35 since 2022. He was an SD35 teacher and administrator from 1973 to 2007. He is 76 and has lived in Langley for 53 years, in South Langley. Contact: 604-340-9421 or CharlieFox@LangleyStrong.ca.

He says his six years as a trustee have been enjoyable and productive. He loves working in SD35 and wants to make the district the best in the province.

**ALEX JOEHL**

Joehl is an independent candidate. He ran for school trustee in a 2021 by-election, and unsuccessfully sought federal office as an MP in 2008, 2011, 2019, 2024 and 2025; provincial office as an MLA in 2017, 2020 and 2024; mayor in 2018; and councillor in 2022. He is a meat department manager at a major grocery store, is 44, and has lived in Langley since 2015. He lives in Murrayville. Contact: alex.joehl@libertarian.bc.ca and Facebook.com/ElectAlexJoehl.

He says voters deserve a principled ballot option who is not influenced by special-interest groups involved in education. As a libertarian, he offers a distinct perspective and says putting more tax dollars into the system is not a viable solution to its shortcomings.

**OLIVIA LAKE DE MEZA**

Lake de Meza is running with Progress for Langley. She is executive director of a non-profit post-secondary organization, is 47, and has lived in Langley for nine years. She lives in Walnut Grove. Contact: Olakedemeza@gmail.com.

She says parents deserve to be heard and to understand how decisions about their children are made. She wants them to know that resources are reaching classrooms and making a difference. She is running for trustee to provide transparency and accountability for families.

**NORMA JEAN MAXWELL**

Maxwell is running with Progress for Langley. She is an educator and advocate, 61, and has lived in Clayton for 20 years. Contact: normajeanmaxwell@gmail.com.

She says she lived in Brookswood for 20 years and plans to return to Langley. She is running for trustee to be a strong voice for students of all abilities and will work to ensure the school system remains responsive to every student’s needs.

**TINA PATTERSON**

Patterson is running as an independent and previously served on the DPAC. She is a high school teacher, 53, and has lived in Langley for 21 years in Walnut Grove. Contact: Hello@tinapatterson.ca or tinapatterson.ca.

She says she is a local Township parent with more than 25 years of experience in education. Her operational knowledge drives her to remove barriers for vulnerable learners, ensure fiscal responsibility and bring transparent, student-first leadership to help every child succeed academically.

**CARLOS SUAREZ RUBIO**

Suarez Rubio is running independently for school trustee. He has volunteered with the CPC and BC Conservatives. His only public-life experience was serving the student community through the student society at Camosun College. He is a political scientist, customer-service professional and security guard, 45, and has lived in Langley since 2017. He lives in Willoughby.

He invites people with concerns for the board to find him at Gratia Café at 202 and 88, or contact him at info@carlossuarezrubio.com, 604-345-9523, on X at csurubio, or on Instagram at carlos.Suarez.Rubio. He says the board needs leaders who get things done and lobby for government funding. He says violence and bullying in schools need to be addressed, and students and schools need funding for accessible mental-health counselling.

**BETTY SIEGEL**

Siegel is running with Progress for Langley. She is an educator and advocate, 77, and has lived in Langley for 50 years in Walnut Grove. Contact: Brsiegel@me.com.

She says she has spent her career in education and knows great schools depend on everyone working together. She will keep students at the centre of the board’s focus while providing staff with a safe workplace and the resources everyone needs to succeed.

**SEAN STEVENSON**

Stevenson is running with Progress for Langley. He is a Red Seal glazier, 41, and has lived in Langley for three years in Willoughby. Contact: swastevenson@gmail.com.

He wants students to have a learning environment that gives them a sense of belonging and shows them there is more than one path to building their future. He is running for trustee to ensure no student feels left behind.

**NEIL TURNER**

Turner is running with Langley Strong and ran in the 2022 municipal election as an independent. He is a professor at Trinity Western University and a coach developer for Canada Soccer. He is 63, has lived in Langley for 50 years and lives in Willoughby. Contact: NeilTurner@LangleyStrong.ca or the Facebook page Neil Turner for SD35.

He says that with his grandchildren nearing school age, he wants every Langley student to learn safely and be prepared for life. As a university educator with a master’s degree in performance analysis, he says he will bring data-informed thinking and a commitment to strengthening the district.

**BLAKE VENECHUK**

Venechuk is running as an independent. He is a farmer, agricultural education advocate and community philanthropist, 43, and has lived in Langley for 24 years in Milner. Contact: Instagram at @venenechukfarms, Blake@venechukfarmsltd.com or Mackenzie@venechukfarmsltd.com.

He says he decided to run for school board after operating the Agri-Kids agricultural education program in the Langley School District for years. He says he has seen several concerning issues over that time, including transparency, school violence and staff burnout.