A TWU professor and longtime local soccer coach is the latest candidate to throw his hat into the ring for the Langley Board of Education in this year’s fall election.
Neil Turner will run for a post as a school board trustee on Oct. 15.
Turner is a longtime Langley resident and a Langley Secondary graduate. After getting his BA in physical education at Trinity Western University, he got his masters in performance analysis at the University of Middlesex in the UK.
For the past 25 years, he’s been an assistant professor teaching human kinetics at TWU.
But many in Langley will know him through his work with coaching and organizing soccer.
“I’ve been very involved in the sports community,” Turner said.
That includes 40 years of coaching, a stint as technical director of the Ridge Meadows Soccer Club, and working as a soccer coach developer, facilitator, and evaluator for BC Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association.
Having pulled back from his coaching duties recently, Turner considered it was time to serve the community.
He’s had three children go through the Langley school system, and now has five grandkids. All of them are young, but they’ll be headed for school in a few years.
Another spark for his decision was walking with his wife in Willoughby recently, and noticing another development proposal sign, he said.
Big developments mean more pressure on the school system, he said.
He said his priorities, if he’s elected to the board, will include preparing all students for success on paths including going into the workforce, into post-secondary education, or just with life skills.
With his background in post-secondary, Turner said he can offer some expertise on ways schools can help get students ready for the next phase of their education, he said.
Prioritizing community planning and helping work on problem solving for long-term challenges, including financial planning and property development for schools, is another key goal.
He also wants to encourage active dialogue for the board’s constituents, such as teachers, staff, students, and families.
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