Roman Nurpeissov for School Trustee
I’m Roman Nurpeissov - a father of two children attending West Vancouver public schools, a lawyer, and a former university law professor.
As a parent dedicated to educational leadership, I want my children to develop the knowledge, confidence, and curiosity to find their own paths. I believe every student in our district deserves that same opportunity. Strong teaching, timely support, and a sense of belonging all contribute to this goal.
My involvement in our school community includes serving on the Parent Advisory Council at Irwin Park Elementary and representing the school at the DPAC. These experiences reinforced my belief that families have valuable perspectives to contribute and that meaningful dialogue strengthens our schools.
Experience I would bring to the Board
For over 20 years in law, I have worked at Canadian and international law firms, led legal teams and advised organizations on complex transactions and decisions. I now run my own law firm located in West Vancouver.
My work involves examining multitudes of documents, asking questions, understanding financial commitments and finding workable solutions when people disagree. Those habits would guide my approach as a trustee.
I would bring particular experience in:
- Financial transactions and governance: scrutinizing commitments, assessing risks and helping decision-makers understand their responsibilities.
- Construction and facilities: reviewing contracts and addressing issues involving costs, delays and project delivery.
- Negotiation and dispute resolution: listening to different perspectives, identifying common ground and working through difficult conversations.
I hold a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan and a Master of Laws from Vanderbilt University, and I am admitted to practise law in the Province of British Columbia, the State of New York and Kazakhstan.
A connection to teaching and learning
For five years, I taught law part-time at KIMEP University School of Law. Teaching gave me a direct appreciation of the preparation, patience and clear communication involved in helping students understand challenging material.
Today, I also serve as Partnerships and Legal Affairs Advisor to Enya Learning, a local startup developing personalized literacy tools for students learning English. Its work has deepened my interest in how educational tools can respond to students’ different strengths, needs and backgrounds.
How I would serve
I would approach board decisions with preparation, independent judgment and respect for the people affected by them. That means listening carefully to students, families and educators; asking how spending decisions support learning; and explaining both decisions and their trade-offs clearly. It also means working constructively with fellow trustees and respecting the professional responsibilities of school staff.
I welcome thoughtful disagreement. People do not need to share every opinion to work together for better schools.
My commitment would extend across West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lions Bay, with attention to the different circumstances students and families experience throughout the district.
Beyond my professional life
I enjoy writing, the performing arts, martial arts and travel. I visited over 30 countries, and lived in Asia, Europe and North America. I have published a short novel and years ago participated in theatre festivals—experiences that have kept creativity and curiosity an important part of my life. More recently, I was casted for the role of "chauffeur" for my sons driving them to their taekwondo, fencing, robotics, swimming, golf and other classes and activities that West Vancouver has to offer.