United is the Way Forward

Derek D. O'Brien

Chair
St. Stephen, New Brunswick

A native of St. Stephen, New Brunswick (Charlotte County), Derek completed a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, followed by a Diploma of Advanced Undergraduate Studies in French Immersion Education. After a few years of teaching high school and elementary students, in August 2000 Derek assumed his first administrative role as Vice Principal of Vincent Massey Elementary in St. Andrews.

He returned to St. Stephen Elementary in August 2001 as the Vice Principal and completed a Master of Education degree in Administration from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. Several years of educational and community leadership and administration followed which led to his appointment of the Superintendent for Anglophone School District – South in November 2022, a position that he continues with enthusiasm today.

Derek is active in his profession, serving in several capacities with the New Brunswick Teachers Association, including Chairing the Professional Development Committee and the Gender Issues in Education Committee. Derek is active in his community especially with Chocolate Festival Inc. where he volunteered in a leadership capacity for over 15 years. He has served on the Board for the United Way of Saint John, Kings, and Charlotte Counties since 2016, including two terms as Board Chair.

Cynthia Goodwin

Vice-Chair
Quispamsis, New Brunswick

Cynthia, who is based in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, has more than 30 years’ experience as a leader of teams and a specialist in communications, marketing, strategic planning, social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, issues and crisis management – and getting things done.

Cynthia founded CCGoodwin Consulting in 2019, today an award-winning firm with a team of high-performing practitioners serving clients in multiple sectors across Canada. Both her sector experience and network are vast. She was previously President of a regional, award-winning marketing communications firm, and she spent nearly 10 years leading corporate communications and social responsibility at the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. She has led marketing communications teams for both the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University, and she has played a senior role in public affairs, sustainability and government relations for Irving Oil Limited.

Cynthia currently holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and an Indigenous Canada certificate from the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Governance Professionals of Canada. She currently serves on the Board of United Way Saint John, Kings and Charlotte.

Quentrel Provo

Co-Chair, Community Impact
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Quentrel is the CEO/Founder of Stop the Violence (Spread the Love) to raise violence awareness. He has traveled throughout schools in Nova Scotia and across Canada doing presentations to raise violence awareness on the issues around violence and bullying.

He has received many awards for his community activism work as an award-winning activist through Stop the Violence. These awards include being named one of the World’s Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent Under 40 in 2019, being named 1 of 20 Outstanding Black Men in Canada by Shifters Magazine 2020, awarded the Indomitable Spirit Award at 2020 Courage to Give Back Awards from Family SOS, and received the Civic Engagement Award at the 2018 Ancestral Roots Awards for young leaders from Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute. Due to his advocacy work, Quentrel had the humbling opportunity to meet President Barack Obama in 2019 and his wife Former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2023. He currently sits on the NSCC Board of Governors, the United Way Halifax Board of Directors, and was recently appointed to the Government of Canada’s Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security by the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of Canada.

He has been featured in documentaries including The Panther Next Door, 2012; Stop the Violence (Break the Silence); North Preston: A Look Past Stigma and is a featured vocalist in Jeri Brown Spirit Comes Through. Through his involvement with Cadets, he received the Lord Strathcona Medal of Merit (highest award which can be bestowed on a Canadian Cadet)

Melissa Thompson

Co-Chair, Community Impact
Pictou, Nova Scotia

Over a 25+ year career, Melissa has acquired extensive project management, process and business analysis and information management expertise through her work with companies such as ExxonMobil, Jannsen-Ortho Inc, and Inforse Solutions. She led a full career while raising two children and actively volunteering in all their extracurricular programs.

Melissa grew up in Pictou County, Nova Scotia and completed a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. FX University. She has lived and worked in both rural and urban communities in Ontario and Nova Scotia for many years, allowing for a broad and humbling perspective on diversity, cultures, needs and expectations.

Melissa has been actively involved in the nonprofit sector for over 40 years. It all started when she was in elementary school and volunteered at Riverview Home in Riverton. In Whitby Ontario she was president and then a Board member at large for the Whitby Girls Hockey Association for over a decade, and during COVID, Melissa was a member of Whitby Caremongers. Upon returning home to Nova Scotia in 2021 she didn’t miss a beat. She jumped into the community, joining the local garden club, becoming a volunteer firefighter, and medical first responder. Melissa also serves on the Board of United Way of Pictou County and the Maritime Integration Committee.

Claude Francoeur

Chair, Finance/Treasurer
Saint John, New Brunswick

Claude Francoeur, CA, CPA is the managing partner of the EY offices in New Brunswick. In addition to his role as managing partner, Claude is a member of the national business strategy and transformation group. Mr. Francoeur has more than 28 years of experience at EY where he accumulated more than ten years of experience as a financial auditor, business risk management and internal auditor to then specialize as a consultant in the development of growth strategies and the implementation of transformation projects for government and private sector clients.

Over the years, Mr. Francoeur has played an active role in the community as a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the Childhood Cancer Canada Foundation. He has also served as Vice Presidents and a member of the Executive Team of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation Board. He is also a member of the advisory group for the Faculty of Administration at the University of New Brunswick. For the past six years, Claude has represented the Saint John region on the NB Economic Council and has been the chair of the board of directors for the past four years.

Claude is originally from St-Joseph de Madawaska in our beautiful North-West region of NB. After working for the family farm and business, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the Université de Moncton with a concentration in accounting, he obtained the professional designation of Chartered Accountant in 1998 from the Atlantic School of Chartered Accountancy.

Laura Godsoe

Chair, Governance
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Laura is the Assistant Vice-President Recruitment and Talent Management, People and Culture at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she is responsible for the recruitment and onboarding of leadership positions at the university as well as leadership of Dalhousie’s employment equity program and the institutions’ Employment Equity Plan. Prior to joining Dalhousie, Laura was a Partner at the human resources consulting firm KBRS where she also served as the firms’ Diversity & Inclusion Lead.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours from Mount Allison University and both a Master’s and PhD from York University.

From a volunteer point of view, Laura has been involved with several boards over the years, most recently as Chair of the Governance Committee and then Chair of the Board for United Way Halifax.

Andrew MacDonald

Chair, Risk & Innovation
Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Andrew is an Associate with Key Murray Law, and is based in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. His practice areas include administrative law; corporate commercial transactions; estates; fisheries law; non-profit corporate law and governance; real estate; residential rental law; and family law.

Andrew grew up in PEl, and holds a B.A., Economics & English Literature from St. Thomas University, and a Faculty of Law (J.D.) from Queen’s University. He was involved in student leadership and upon graduation from Queen’s, he received the Queen’s Law Spirit Award, awarded to a graduating student who best exemplified school spirit.

In addition to his legal practice, Andrew is a Commissioner with the Human Rights Commission of PEl. He has served on the United Way PEI Board since 2021 and became a member of the Maritime Integration Committee in 2023. Through the unification process, Andrew has also served on the legal advisory committee.

Michelle Clare

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Michelle Clare is responsible for leading the Financial Planning Relationship Management Business for Atlantic Canada. She leads a team of 130 employees to ensure that RBC delivers the highest standard for financial planning and advice to RBC’s clients. Michelle enables One RBC relationships and collaborates with market partners to grow RBC’s Financial Planning presence and brand in Atlantic Canada.

Since joining RBC in 1995, Michelle has held a wide variety of sales, coaching and leadership roles. Prior to her current executive appointment, she was Regional Vice President for the Metro Halifax market, RBC’s largest market in Atlantic Canada where she led a team of more than 250 leaders and advisors across 16 branches. She was also Vice President of Group Advantage, the bank’s comprehensive group benefits program for private, public and not for profit sector entities. Michelle held this role, which encompassed all of Atlantic Canada, for three years.

Michelle holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cape Breton University as well as her Personal Financial Planning designation.

A strong believer in giving back to the community, Michelle has served on various not for profit and business boards in Nova Scotia including the South Shore Regional Hospital Foundation and the Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club. Michelle currently sits on the Board of Directors at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Michelle resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with her partner and two grown children.

Suzanne Fougere

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Suzanne is Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Business Development at Events East based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She hails originally from Prince Edward Island, where she visits family and friends regularly. As a key member of the Events East executive team, she is responsible for overseeing the delivery of our business development strategy for both Scotiabank Centre and Halifax Convention Centre, as well as full integration of marketing and sales activities, and the primary partnerships needed to grow our business and reputation. She is also responsible for event development, including fostering relationships with our event organizers and key partners for both venues.

A leader within the Nova Scotia events industry, she has previously served on the Board of Directors of Fusion Halifax, the Organizing Committee of the Blue Nose Marathon, the Engagement Committee for ECMA 2018, the Board of Directors of Kids Up Front Atlantic and the Host Organizing Committee for the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship, where she also served as the creator and Chair of the It’s Our Time Female Leadership Summit. Suzanne recently completed a term as Vice-Chair of the Host Organizing Committee for the 2024 Halifax JUNO Awards.

Suzanne currently sits on the United Way of Halifax Board of Directors, the Hotel Association of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, and is the Vice-Chair of the QEll Foundation Board of Directors.

Chad Heron

Mermaid, PEI

Chad Heron was born and raised on Prince Edward Island. He attended Charlottetown Rural and UPEI before pursuing his Chartered Accountant designation. While studying towards this designation, he worked with Grant Thornton in Charlottetown and had the opportunity to learn about many exciting local businesses and the people behind them. Business, and in particular startups, has always been an interest of Chad’s, which led him to leave PEI and work with a tech business incubator in Boston, Massachusetts. Chad returned home to a position with the provincial government, before transitioning to his current employer COWS, where he is now the CEO.

Chad lives in Mermaid, PEI, with his wife Laura, daughter Julia, son Charles, and two cats. His interests outside of work and family include technology, science, astronomy, sports, investing, and many more. Chad and his family also enjoy traveling whenever they have the opportunity and learning about different parts of the world. He is passionate about PEI and making it the best place to live and raise a family. He is looking to give back to the community and make the province and region as welcoming and supportive as it can be to all.

Kerry Leydon

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

As a founding director and long serving board member of the United Way of Lunenburg County, Kerry has extensive knowledge about community needs and rural Nova Scotia, and the mandate of United Way. He has also served as a member of the ACC and at present, he is an active member of the Maritime Integration Committee.

Kerry is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) with over 30 years of experience in investments, sales, marketing and financial planning, and expertise in auditing, project management and financial reporting. His career with companies including Investors Group, Manulife Securities (Berkshire Investment Group), EY and RBC have given him the opportunity to deal with and relate to the entirety of the cross-section of society and has been exposed to many different experiences and perspectives.

Andrew Oland

Rothesay, New Brunswick

Andrew Oland is President and Chief Executive Officer of Moosehead Breweries Limited. He is the sixth-generation member of his family to lead the Oland brewing business started by his great-great- great grandmother Susannah Oland in 1867.

Mr. Oland was born in Black’s Harbour, New Brunswick and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a graduate of the Halifax Grammar School.

Mr. Oland received his business degree in 1989 from Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia, and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997.

Mr. Oland started his business career as a Management Trainee and then a Project Planner at the Halifax Shipyard. Mr. Oland joined his family’s business in 1992 as a foreman in the Company’s bottleshop. Since then, he has held a number of increasingly senior positions within Moosehead including Sales Manager for Nova Scotia, Sales Director for New Brunswick, Alpine Lager Marketing Director, and President of Moosehead Quebec. He was appointed President April 1, 2008 and assumed Chief Executive Officer responsibilities in 2013.

Mr. Oland currently serves as Chair of the Beer Canada Board of Directors and Board member of The Riverside Country Club and Stanfield’s.

Mr. Oland is a passionate believer that immigration is essential to the long-term prosperity of New Brunswick and volunteers his time mentoring new Canadians.

Mr. Oland and his wife Leslie reside in Rothesay, New Brunswick. They have three adult children and one grandson.

Moosehead Breweries Limited is the last major brewery in the country still owned by Canadians. It is headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Natasha Lemieux

Saint John, New Brunswick

Natasha Lemieux is a Surveyor with Accreditation Canada and a collaborative senior health care leader with over 20 years of experience across hospital, community, rural, and long-term care settings.

Born and raised in Saint John, Natasha has a rich multicultural background as a member of the Mi’kmaw Wasoqopa’q (Acadia) First Nation of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, with African Canadian and French Acadian heritage. She holds a strong commitment to empowering and strengthening communities and advancing social inclusion.

Natasha began her career as a Registered Nurse before moving into leadership roles, including Nurse Manager and Clinical Coordinator. She later served as Vice President of Patient Services, Clinical Education, and Chief Nursing Officer at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, Ontario, and held a senior leadership position with Horizon Health Network. As a Surveyor with Accreditation Canada, Natasha applies her clinical and operational expertise to help health care organizations achieve excellence in quality and safety.

Natasha attended a Master of Psychiatric Nursing from Brandon University and holds a Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Management from York University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dalhousie University. She also completed a Prosci Change Management certification and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Kathie McNally

Winsloe, PEI

As a practicing Family Physician, Kathie has worked in many different clinical settings over the last 25 years including community primary care, long term care, emergency medicine, and acute hospital care. Presently she provides primary care services in outreach medicine and for patients who are unaffiliated.

Her leadership experience has spanned over 20 years. Her roles have included Chief Medical Officer with Health PEI, the provincial health authority, and Director of Health Services with the Department of Health & Wellness with the provincial government. She has held numerous other leadership positions through the years. She also currently works with Veterans Affairs Canada as a Medical Advisor and Santis Health as a Senior Advisor.

Kathie graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island with a B.Sc. Major in Biology, Dalhousie University from the M.D. program, and the University of Ottawa Family Medicine Residency program. She initially practiced family medicine in northeastern Ontario prior to moving back to Prince Edward Island. She has completed a Master’s Certificate in Physician Leadership with Schulich Executive Education Center, York University and is a Canadian Certified Physician Executive.

Andrew Martel

Fredericton, New Brunswick

Andrew Martel grew up in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, attending École Évangéline for his education. Upon graduating high school, Andrew moved to Fredericton to attend the University of New Brunswick to gain his Bachelor of Computer Science. Throughout his time at UNB, Andrew led the Computer Science Association, the Student Union and The Brunswickan (campus student newspaper).

Upon graduation, Andrew moved to Toronto to start working in the field of Management Consulting. After 3 years in Toronto, Andrew and his wife, Kayla, returned to Fredericton where they now reside. Andrew continues to work in Management Consulting – currently a Team Leader at Axsium Group, where he oversees a team of a dozen dedicated consultants and technical architects.

Outside of work, Andrew has been involved in many local groups, including Branch Out Productions – Fredericton’s top community theatre group (both as a member of the board and an actor). Additionally, Andrew has returned to his roots as the current President of the UNB Associated Alumni.

Chuck Maillet

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Having been with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) since 2002, Chuck Maillet has held Vice-President positions since 2017. Recently, Chuck took on pan-Atlantic responsibilities with ACOA’s head office. Before joining ACOA, Chuck spent a number of years working in both the private and non-profits sectors, where he gained valuable insights into the challenges of starting and growing businesses; however, his learning journey still continues. When not at work, Chuck pursues his passions of travel food and nature with his fantastically supportive wife Jennifer and two tremendous daughters, Sana and Anik.