The Sudbury Catholic District School Board and the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario (CPCO) would like to congratulate Don Hopkins, Principal of St. David School for being selected Principal Of The Year. Don Hopkins was born and raised in Sudbury. A graduate of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in Sudbury, North Bay “Normal” School and Laurentian University in Sudbury, Don considers himself a true Northerner.

Don was a founding member of the local Catholic Principals Council of Ontario, Sudbury unit and has been its chairperson for the last 15 years. Don was nominated for the Principal of the Year Award by his colleagues in Sudbury for his past and continued presence as a gift in the lives of his peers. He takes time to listen, to share his wealth of wisdom, to support decisions and to re-affirm and encourage his colleagues and school community.

For the past four years Don represented his local principals and vice-principals provincially on CPCO’s Council of District Representatives. His colleagues describe Don as a witness to his faith. “He embodies the World Youth Day Theme; he is the “salt of the earth” and is certainly the “light in the world.” The Principal Of The Year Award is presented each year to an individual that demonstrates outstanding school and community leadership. Only five awards are handed out each year across Ontario; one each in the Greater Toronto Area, Western Ontario, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario.

The Sudbury unit of Catholic principals and vice-principals congratulates Don on this prestigious honour and thanks CPCO for helping to celebrate this “special man.”