My name is Karol Pawlina. I am a member of RIBO’s Council. Not surprisingly, you may not recognize my name as it was not on last year’s ballot for RIBO’s Council. I am one of four public members that can sit on the Council. Public appointees are members of the public that participate on the Council. Public members are appointed by the Minister of Finance and Lieutenant Governor-in-Council to represent the public interest. I was appointed to the Council last year and wanted to share a public member’s perspective on the Council.
Being an Engineer in Training with the Professional Engineers of Ontario and a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario, I have had experience with professional regulatory bodies. My wife is also a teacher who is governed by the Ontario College of Teachers. Like RIBO, the Ontario College of Teachers, the Law Society of Ontario, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario Council all have public members. My time on the Council has been extremely positive. This last year was very difficult. I have witnessed RIBO’s executive work extremely hard to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. RIBO’s staff have worked diligently to transition their systems to virtual platforms. Of course, technical difficulties are part of life. However, as these technical difficulties are resolved, RIBO’s membership will continue to benefit from these virtual platforms going forward. With the end of the pandemic near, I look forward to the continued successes of RIBO.