Tireless advocate of school outreach

The organization Karen Branscombe oversees has a $110-million operational budget and 2,500 employees. Her business is education. Her product is the future of New Brunswick.

The Fredericton native is superintendent of School District 2, the largest district of the 14 in the province, with 38 schools and more than 16,000 students. Branscombe still sees herself primarily as a schoolteacher. “The impact on the classroom is what I am all about,” she says. “All the day-to-day decisions I make with my team will affect those 16,000 students.” Her duties include dealing with school facilities, assigning new staff, and ensuring that programs and services are in place for students.

Branscombe, 50, believes in bringing the public into the education system through partnerships with community and business leaders. “I believe long-term public education cannot sustain itself by itself,” she says. “I have a lot to learn from people in the business world, and vice versa.” She says maintaining community ties also provides students with places to complete co-op programs, preventing them from isolation.

Branscombe is constantly attending events, functions, and committee or board meetings to forge new links between school and community. She’s part of the board of directors of the Moncton Rotary Club and is on the Regional Health Authority Board, among other appointments.

“Karen has written the book on how to create a symbiotic link between school district and community,” says  Moncton businesswoman Aldéa Landry. “Not only does she commit herself personally but she also brings along her management team to participate and work for the community.”

What Landry likes about Branscombe is that she tackles difficult situations head-on and focuses on seeking solutions. “She is at ease with the business world as well as with community groups,” says Landry. “It is a tribute to her versatility and professional capabilities.”