Board Of Directors

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.

Laura Godsoe

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.

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.

Claude Francoeur

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.

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.

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.

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.

Andrew MacDonald

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.

Melissa Thompson

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.

Derek D. O’Brien

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

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.

Henrietta Obajemu

Fredericton, New Brunswick

Based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Henrietta Obajemu is the co-founder of Safe Haven Learning Hub, a non-profit educational services organization in New Brunswick.

She also works with the Learning and Achievement branch at the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD). A UK certifiedESL teacher, Henrietta’s passion lies in assisting newcomers in learning English as a second language and empowering communities to thrive within the educational system. Henrietta’s commitment to supporting newcomers’ integration into Canadian society led her to lead a team of Employment Coaches and facilitate numerous employment-related sessions in collaboration with various organizations, fostering connections between newcomers and local employers.

Her journey is defined by a steadfast dedication to education, community and empowerment. Henrietta is determined to continue making a positive impact on the lives of newcomers and the education sector in Canada. Among other credentials, Henrietta holds a Bachelor in Biological Sciences from the University of Lagos in Nigeria.

Henrietta joined the United Way of Central New Brunswick Board of Directors in 2023.

Quentrel Provo

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).

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Jason Hatcher

Board Chair

Jason Hatcher is the Managing Principal of Navigator Ltd. and leads their Western Canadian operations from Calgary. He specializes in strategic communications, advising clients across multiple sectors, board of directors and business leaders across Canada. As a community leader and passionate volunteer, Jason believes it is important for people to be involved and give back to their community. He was on the Board with United Way of Calgary and Area’s chapter from 2012-2019, including Board Chair from 2018-2019 and represented the Board in the 2018 Campaign Cabinet. | 

 Jason Joined United Way Centraide Canada’s Board of Directors in 2019 and currently serves as Chair of the Board. In that capacity, he is also Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board and the Strategic Planning Committee. Jason currently chairs the Calgary Chamer of Commerce Board of Directors and serves on various committee roles. Jason’s bilingual education covered Political Science, Business, and Law.

The volunteers who make up United Way Maritimes Board of Directors represent communities across the region and come from diverse backgrounds in business, government and social services and those with volunteer and lived experience.

Derek D. O'Brien

Cynthia Goodwin

Quentrel Provo

Melissa Thompson

Claude Francoeur

Laura Godsoe

Andrew MacDonald

Michelle Clare

Suzanne Fougere

Chad Heron

Kerry Leydon

Henrietta Obajemu

Andrew Oland

Suzanne Fougere

Laura Godsoe

Kerry Leydon

Claude Francoeur

Michelle Clare

Chad Heron

Andrew Oland

Andrew MacDonald

Melissa Thompson

Derek D. O’Brien

Cynthia Goodwin

Henrietta Obajemu

Quentrel Provo

Jason Hatcher

Board Chair