The Black Gold School Division has new leadership after trustees elected Angie Charpentier as board chair and Christie Bergman as vice chair at their annual organizational meeting on June 22 in Leduc, Alberta.
Charpentier, who represents Ward 3 in Leduc, takes over from Devonna Klaassen, who led the board through what officials called a pivotal transition period following last fall’s municipal elections that brought four new trustees to the seven-member board.
Klaassen will stay on as a trustee and continue her provincial advocacy work as vice-president of the Alberta School Boards Association. She was first elected in 2017 and has served three terms.
Charpentier has been a trustee for four years and brings a social work background to the role. She has spoken openly about how raising a child with Down syndrome has shaped her focus on inclusivity and support for students with special needs.
Bergman, the new vice chair, represents Ward 4 in Beaumont and has lived in the community for more than 18 years. A parent of two children in Black Gold schools, she has worked as a small-business owner and REALTOR for nearly two decades and previously served on a provincial health board.
The leadership change comes as the division faces record enrollment growth. Trustees recently approved a $187.3 million budget for the 2026-27 school year, with projected enrollment of 13,815 students. That marks nearly two percent growth and a planned operating deficit of $1.7 million.
Black Gold is the seventh-largest public school division in Alberta, serving about 12,000 students in 32 schools across Leduc, Beaumont, Calmar, Devon, Thorsby, Warburg and surrounding communities. The board includes seven trustees from four wards.
