Debbie Tablotney has served as a Richmond school board trustee for more than two decades, including terms as board chair and many years as chair of the board’s policy committee. Throughout her tenure she has served on all of the board’s committees and has been a strong advocate for student success, fiscal accountability, and meaningful community engagement.

A Richmond resident since 1981, Debbie is also involved in her family’s insurance brokerage, where she manages the company’s accounting. She has been a Rotarian in Richmond for the past 22 years and is the past president of the Richmond Sunrise Rotary Club.

Over 21 years on the board she has helped hire four superintendents and has served on committees spanning Education, Personnel & Finance, Audit, Building & Facilities, Indigenous Advisory, SOGI policy, and the Vision Mission Values working group. She is the main organizer of the school board’s participation in the Canada Day and Vancouver Pride parades, and attends graduations each year to hand out scholarships.

Beyond the board, Debbie has given decades of service to community organizations — from being a founding member of the Westwind Neighbourhood Watch and CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) in Richmond to her many board roles including Moms Stop the Harm, Family Place, Sunrise Rotary and the Steveston Thrift Shop (which she recently helped establish). Her family insurance brokerage has long sponsored ICBC Road Sense speakers, Pathways Clubhouse, the Richmond Food Bank and Ride to Conquer Cancer. She is a Rotary Paul Harris and Pathways Award recipient in acknowledgement of her extensive community work.

Leadership & highlights

1. School board trustee — 6 terms (21+ years)
2. Former Board Chair and Vice Chair
3. Policy Committee Chair for 8 years
4. President, Richmond Sunrise Rotary Club (2025–26)
5. Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship (2017)
6. Founding member, Westwind Neighbourhood Watch