Board of Directors
Meet Our Board Members
Selina Eizik
Board Member
Selina is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history in the marketing and advertising industry. She has a Bachelor of Science in Management and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to marketing and advertising, Selina has a wealth of experience in leadership training and strategic planning.
Selina has three children attending Pretty River Academy.
Jeremy Creed
Board Chair
Jeremy is an entrepreneur with a long history of work in the software development and payment processing space. In the past decade, he has focused most of his efforts in residential and commercial real estate development. He has over 12 years of board experience with independent schools and over 10 years as board Chair of the Mabin School in Toronto. Jeremy moved with his wife and 3 children from Toronto to Meaford in 2018.
Dasha G. Smyth
Board Member
Dasha is a technology and financial services executive. As CEO of PortfolioXpressWay, she leads the company’s mission to simplify the complexity of wealth management. Over the past 20 years, she has built and led high-performing teams, launched new ventures, and driven transformation within startups and global institutions. She has served on the boards of United Way and Junior Achievement. Dasha holds a degree from Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario.
Dasha has one child attending Pretty River Academy.
Mary Riopelle
Board Member
Mary is a realtor with RE/MAX Four Seasons in Collingwood/Blue Mountains. She has been involved in a number of educational committees during her teaching career, including being an educational advisor for program development in Interior Design at Georgian College. Originally from Toronto, she moved to The Blue Mountains permanently in 2012.
Know someone else who might be a great board member?
Pretty River Academy, like most independent schools, is governed by a Board of Directors. The primary role of an independent school board is to hire, oversee and evaluate annually the Head of School and to uphold the PRA mission and values. The Board collaborates with the Head in developing strategic goals and putting them in place. The Board oversees the school’s financial sustainability, sets tuition and approves the annual budget. Additionally, the Board supports financial stewardship with annual fundraising and capital campaigns. The Board sets policies which require its approval. Finally, the Board oversees the physical assets of the school, primarily through a multi-year planning process.