Westmont Hilltop approves EADS services for improvements, hires director of development
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Westmont Hilltop School Board took the first step toward facilities upgrades at Thursday's meeting with the hiring of The EADS Group to provide professional architectural and engineering services for multiple projects.
The work will be funded by the $1 million matching Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant in November.
'The extensive improvement project will focus on vital infrastructure enhancements at the district's facilities,' Superintendent Thomas Mitchell said.
'The junior-senior high school will benefit from a roof and exterior door replacement, as well as the addition of an exterior bathroom.'
He noted the exterior restroom will be a benefit to fans and athletes at baseball, tennis, softball and soccer events at the secondary school.
Other planned work with the RACP money includes new flooring in the elementary cafeteria and restroom replacement at the primary school.
Westmont agreed to pay EADS $48,900 for preparation of the roof work and $79,200 for design of the outside bathroom and elementary improvements.
During Thursday's meeting, the board also hired Jane Solomon as the new director of development for a three-year contract at $72,500 per year.
'With the memories of attending Westmont Hilltop High School, Ms. Solomon returns to the Westmont Hilltop community to take on this pivotal role,' Mitchell said. 'With over 20 years of experience in marketing, brand strategy and business relationship management, Ms. Solomon brings extensive expertise to the district.'
Her responsibilities will include strengthening alumni and corporate partnerships for the betterment of the district and provide development support for the Westmont Hilltop Education Foundation, as well as serving a key role in fundraising for the future recreation center.
Board President Robert Gleason has been a proponent of hiring a development director for some time and noted the district's struggles in finding a person who was the right fit for the job.
He said Solomon was recommended to him after she moved back to the area, and, following a preliminary chat, he was impressed by her qualifications.
Gleason said the new development director was vetted by the board, who were also impressed by her resume, and he's pleased by her hiring.
'I think it's an exciting concept,' he said.
Now, the group will begin establishing goals and objectives for Solomon and build up the foundation.
'The Westmont Hilltop School District remains committed to improving its facilities and expanding opportunities for students through strategic community engagement and development efforts,' Mitchell said. 'The district looks forward to the continued progress of the RACP project and the positive impact of Ms. Solomon's leadership in fostering community engagement for the benefit of students and alumni.'
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Hamilton Spectator
18 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Carney government balancing AI regulation against the promise to unlock its potential
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Politico
21 hours ago
- Politico
Ottawa's AI guy
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Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
New AI minister says Canada won't ‘over-index' on AI regulation
OTTAWA - Canada's new minister of artificial intelligence said Tuesday he'll put less emphasis on AI regulation and more on finding ways to harness the technology's economic benefits. In his first speech since becoming Canada's first-ever AI minister, Evan Solomon said Canada will move away from 'over-indexing on warnings and regulation' to make sure the economy benefits from AI. His regulatory focus will be on data protection and privacy, he told the audience at an event in Ottawa Tuesday morning organized by the think tank Canada 2020. Solomon said regulation isn't about finding 'a saddle to throw on the bucking bronco called AI innovation. That's hard. But it is to make sure that the horse doesn't kick people in the face. And we need to protect people's data and their privacy.' The previous government introduced a privacy and AI regulation bill that targeted high-impact AI systems. It did not become law before the election was called. That bill is 'not gone, but we have to re-examine in this new environment where we're going to be on that,' Solomon said. He said constraints on AI have not worked at the international level. 'It's really hard. There's lots of leakages,' he said. 'The United States and China have no desire to buy into any constraint or regulation.' That doesn't mean regulation won't exist, he said, but it will have to be assembled in steps. Canada won't go it alone, Solomon added, because it's a 'waste of time.' Getting AI regulation right is critical to Canada's 'economic destiny,' he said. Soloman said that includes government investments in data centres and research, protecting Canadian intellectual property 'and, critically, cranking up our commercialization.' Solomon outlined four priorities for his ministry — scaling up Canada's AI industry, driving adoption and ensuring Canadians have trust in and sovereignty over the technology. He said that includes supporting Canadian AI companies like Cohere, which he said 'means using government as essentially an industrial policy to champion our champions.' While big companies are leading in using AI, small and medium enterprises are not, and the government needs to encourage them, Solomon said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
