First woman to chair St Mary’s DSG Kloof board
Robyn Sandy chairs the board of St Mary's DSG Kloof as the first woman.
IT’S a new era for St Mary’s Kloof DSG as the first woman ever chairs the board of the school. Old Girl Robyn Sandy is the first woman to chair the board since its inception 116 years ago. St Mary’s is run by a board of directors that is responsible for making strategic decisions that will ensure the smooth functioning of the school by appointing the management of the school.
Sandy completed her matric 40 years ago at St Mary’s and continued to pursue her undergraduate qualification in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She studied up to a Master’s Degree in Industrial Psychology. She also holds a BCom degree.
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The 56-year-old said she was serving the board for the past 13 years before being appointed as the chairperson. “My daughter went to St Mary’s from Grade R to 12, and when she started, the school heard about my background and my qualification. They approached me and asked if I wanted to be on the board, and I said, ‘Of course, I will serve my school’.
“Eight years ago, I was asked to head a foundation for St Mary’s. The foundation gave bursaries or scholarships to deserving girls who really should be in a school like St Mary’s but are short of funds. We’ve placed a foundation manager, put in strategies, raised funds and put a whole lot of girls through St Mary’s,” she said.
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Sandy said she was supposed to retire at the end of last year, but that took a turn when the former board chairperson retired and she was nominated and voted for the chair position. “I had a lot on my plate as I am running a business, but I decided to do it as our motto in St Mary’s is ‘Service before self, God before all,” she said.
She said that in her years of serving as the chairperson, she plans to make strategic changes. “We are going to employ one of the top strategic minds of the country soon – who also happens to be a woman. So much has changed in the world, and the schools today have tough decisions to make on a number of matters. It is important as a school, like St Mary’s, even though we are 116 years old, to never be complacent, so you can never sit back and relax. The future leaders of our country are going to come from our schools,” she said.
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