Local community services and non-profit stalwart Cheryl Dumont is retiring as executive director of St. Albert and District Further Education Association effective the end of this year.
The St. Albert Further Education Association, or Further Ed, is one of more than 80 community adult learning programs operating across Alberta, and Dumont has held the local organization's top role since 2017 after serving as a board member since 2011.
Dumont, a former St. Albert Public Schools trustee for more than a decade, is a staple in St. Albert's non-profit and community services community as she's also a board member of the St. Albert Housing Society, and has volunteered for countless other organizations over the years.
Dumont said this retirement, technically her third, will almost certainly be permanent as she's set to celebrate her 75th birthday later this month.
“This was always the date that I had for retirement, age 75,” she said, however, naturally, she added that she plans to keep volunteering.
“I do plan to continue some volunteering with the housing society, my interfaith group, and with Further Education, so I'll do some volunteering in those three areas,” she said. “I'm ready to turn those (decision-making) reins over to others.”
“I just want to slow down my life.”
Dumont said Further Ed hasn't hired a new executive director, but the organization is hoping to have somebody in place by the end of the month so Dumont can help with the transition period.
“I'm very happy to help with that transition,” she said. “You can bring an association to a certain place and then it's time for someone else to take over and then bring it to the next place, and that's where I'm at right now — it is time for someone else to come in and just take it from where we've got it here and bring it to the next place.”
Looking back at her time with Further Ed, Dumont said some of her favourite memories over the years include celebrating the organization's 40th anniversary in 2014, and the opening of the association's newcomer's and family literacy storefront location in St. Albert Centre just last summer.
“We keep both locations because we're teaching so many people in the city at any one time,” she said. “Another thing that I'm really proud of is our volunteer tutor program.”
“Our community has really stepped up in a number of ways to help those who haven't finished high school, or who have diverse learning abilities, or are newcomers — doesn't matter whether it's knitting new hats or mitts for someone or whether it's stepping up to be a tutor to help someone learn to read or write or do English language learning.”
“It's just been amazing,” Dumont said, adding that over 120 community members volunteer with Further Ed's tutor program.
“I'm so grateful for this wonderful community of ours.”
When asked what she'd like to see Further Ed accomplish in the years to come, Dumont said she hopes Further Ed ensures that every adult in St. Albert has the opportunity to access the organization's programming.
“The vision is basically that everyone, every adult, in our community has the opportunity to learn and grow through the programs that we offer,” she said. “My wish for the community is that adults, no matter where they are in life, have an opportunity to engage in learning something that's offered to them without barriers.”
Dumont said that she hopes the community understands literacy is a right.
“At some point in time, I would love to get out there just to help people see how important it is,” she said. “We are a community where we are fairly literate, but 11.9 per cent of our community does not have a high school education, and that really affects our whole economy because if people can get a high school education, they can automatically, according to Statistics Canada, earn about $10,000 more a year.”
“There are just so many opportunities out there and it's sometimes tough to get that message out.”
