Alan Lombard, QPAT’s Executive Director for more than 30 years, retired last December after a long and fruitful career in education and unionism. Alan’s role was so central and defining in the history of our association that it is essential to highlightthe major steps of such a long career at the service of teachers.

Starting his career as an ELA teacher in 1968, his involvement in union life began very quickly as he became the union representative. Founder of the Gaspé Teachers’ Association, he was elected as its Chief Negotiator shortly thereafter. Following that, he continued as an active union representative on the executive team of the Laurentian Teachers’ Union and later, of the Lakeshore Teachers’ Association.

Alan’s union activism took its next major step when he became a teacher representative on the negotiation team of the Provincial Association of Protestant Teachers (PAPT) for the 1976 round of provincial negotiations.  During that time, he was named PAPT’s Chief Negotiator, a post he then held for more than a decade, and during which time he negotiated four provincial agreements on behalf of the association.  These agreements form much of the basis of the agreement that we have now and included many significant improvements to working conditions that are still current.

In 1988, he became Executive Director of the association. Alan was instrumental in the shaping of our organization and continued to be involved during numerous rounds of provincial negotiations, contributing greatly to the enhancement of our collective agreement,to the benefit of teachers across the province.

In 1998, following the adoption of Bill 118 which established linguistic school boards in Quebec, he led the transition towards the creation of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers. Over the years he has provided significant support to our local unions and helped protect the rights of hundreds of teachers.

We wish to express our gratitude to him for such a long and fruitful career at the service of teachers and of our association. We also wish him good health and a long and restful retirement full of sailing and travels.