He fulfils a board seat left vacant since April when provincial appointee Les Kariunas resigned, citing health reasons. Kariunas had been appointed by the province in February 2020.
The police services board notes Merrett has four decades of business experience along with serving on a number of organizations in the community, including seven years with the Canadian Mental Health Association — Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge branch.Story continues below advertisement “The experience of seven years on the board of directors for the local CMHA has also educated Drew on the many facets of mental health and the realization that it takes a community to have success in this area,” his profile states.
Merrett, a father of four and a grandfather of one, has also volunteered on boards with the following organizations:Peterborough Chamber of CommerceThe service is still searching for a new police chief following the retirement of Scott Gilbert in early February. Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson has been acting chief since Gilbert’s departure.