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Board of Directors

Mike Melvin

Mike Melvin

Position on the Board: President 2023-2024 | Company: McInnes Cooper

Mike is a corporate-commercial lawyer and a partner with the regional law firm of McInnes Cooper.  In addition to his regular corporate-commercial law practice, he is recognized as a leading Canadian franchise lawyer in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, in the Chambers Canada Guide and by Best Lawyers in Canada. He is also an experienced Registered Trademark Agent.

Mike served as a consulting mentor in the Chamber’s Business Immigrant Mentorship Program from 2011 until it moved to its new home at Ignite Fredericton in 2019. He also sat on the Steering Committee for the Chamber’s Succession Connect program throughout its initial three-year pilot.  Mike has experience in the start-up space, having served as a member of Ignite Fredericton’s Start-up Visa Committee and as a participant in office hours at Planet Hatch (giving free legal advice to start-up entrepreneurs).

Originally from St. John’s, NL, Mike studied music before going to law school at The University of New Brunswick.  He studied classical guitar performance and music history at Mount Allison University, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music and The University of Arizona.

Outside of work, Mike’s new found passion is golf and he is a member of the Fredericton Golf Club. Mike and his wife, Carol Ann, also volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fredericton and Oromocto and love spending time with their little brother.

Jill Stairs

Jill Stairs

Position on the Board: Past President 2022-2023 | Company: Daye Kelly & Associates

Jill is a partner with Daye Kelly & Associates and enjoys working with a diverse group of clients, providing business advisory, assurance, and tax services for individuals, not-for profits, municipalities, and small businesses across a wide range of industries.

Jill holds a Chartered Professional Accounting designation, and has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from UNB as well as a technical diploma from NBCC.  With an educational background in Computer Science, Operations Management, and Human Resources, she has worked in both the Information Technology and Energy sectors before moving to Public Practice in 2008.

Through the years, Jill has served on a number of not for profit boards and committees for a variety of causes.  She and her husband both grew up in the Fredericton area and are happy to be raising their two girls in the community.  Jill’s personal and professional goal is to build strong, meaningful relationships that make our community a better place to live and work.

David Shipley

David Shipley

Position on the Board: 1st Vice President | Company: Beauceron Security Inc.

David Shipley is a recognized global expert in cybersecurity, regularly speaking at public and private events around the world and frequently appears in national and regional media to address cybersecurity stories and topics.  In 2022, David was invited to testify at the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Safety about cybersecurity issues.  

David co-founded Beauceron Security in 2016 with an innovative approach to cybersecurity awareness and risk management which empowers everyone within an organization to know more, and care more, about their key role in protecting against cyber-attacks.  Beauceron Security now serves more than 700 clients across North America, Europe, and Africa with 650,000+ end-users. He continues to lead the company as CEO. 

Prior to co-founding Beauceron Security, David was the security lead for the University of New Brunswick and developed its incident response, threat intelligence and awareness practice. He is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Information and Communications Studies, as well as a Master of Business Administration, from the University of New Brunswick. In 2023, David was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Medal by the province of New Brunswick for his service in the Canadian Forces, work in cybersecurity, and for co-founding Beauceron Security.  

David is a former journalist and a Canadian Forces veteran. 

 

Sara Holyoke

Sara Holyoke

Position on the Board: 2nd Vice President | Company: Delta Hotels by Marriott Fredericton

Sara Holyoke has accumulated 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry after completing her post-secondary Education in Ontario. She joined CHIP Hospitality as Food and Beverage Manager in 1999, and has advanced through the organization, holding the positions of Director of Human Resources, Regional Director of Human Resources (Atlantic Canada), presently General Manager at the Delta Fredericton; a position she has held for the last sixteen years. Sara owned and operated her own business, Tailored Teamwork a custom teambuilding and facilitation organization working with various companies and organizations for over 8 years.

She has sat on many boards within Fredericton and NB including President of the Fredericton Hotel Association 6 years, Co-President of the New Brunswick Hotel Association 3 years, Holds a seat on the voting committee for TIAC, former Fredericton Chamber Director, Vice President of the Marriott Business Council, and plays a role in many other local, regional philanthropic organizations; Nashwaaksis Y’s men, Brain Tumor Foundation,  Co-chair Delta Fredericton Golf Classic raising +300K over multiple years for Oncology care in NB and Nova Scotia.

Sara has won various awards for the hotel, TIANB Human Resources Award, Leader of the year for CHIP Hospitality nationally, Hotel Leader of the Year Sheraton/Delta Hotels, Hotel of the Year 2013 Delta Hotels & Resorts, various Best Guest Satisfaction & Employee Satisfaction awards, Serve 360 Award for Marriott Canada 2018 and Platinum Achievement for Business Excellence Canada.  Sara was awarded the Opportunities NB Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year in 2019.

She recently completed a Strategic Leadership Certificate with Cornell University and Ted Rogers School of Business at Ryerson University.

Sara is a 2 time brain tumor survivor, loves to travel, spend time on her boat and is very close with her family and friends.

Michelle Paquin

Michelle Paquin

Position on the Board: Treasurer | Company: Spacek Armstrong & Norrad Chartered Professional Accountants

Born and raised in Fredericton, Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick in 2010. She attended the Atlantic School of Chartered Accountancy, achieving her CA designation in 2013.

After spending a number of years in the not-for-profit industry in senior finance and executive roles, Michelle re-joined Public Practice as a Senior Manager with Spacek Armstrong & Norrad Chartered Professional Accountants, where she works with individuals, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, providing advisory, tax and assurance services.

Michelle has served in various roles on not-for-profit organizations’ boards and committees through the years. She has a passion for helping small businesses and not-for-profit organizations reach their full potential and enjoys using her experience to help strengthen and give back to the Fredericton community.

Daniel Hoyles

Daniel Hoyles

Position on the Board: Acting Treasurer | Company: Profitual Inc.

Daniel Hoyles is the co-founder of Fintech startup Profitual. Daniel has 10+ years of experience working with early-stage startups, including three years in venture capital, where he has invested over $5M into Atlantic Canadian companies. Originally from Newfoundland, Daniel graduated with his Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2010. In 2015, he became a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada by receiving his CPA designation. Daniel has consulted on a wide variety of financial management and operations issues, including preparing operating budgets, financial models, metric monitoring, board reports, and investment due diligence. Living in Fredericton, Daniel’s favourite pastimes include bike riding, futsal (indoor soccer played on a smaller court), and barbequing on a sunny day!

Dave Milburn

Dave Milburn

Position on the Board: Executive Member | Company: Focal Point Landscaping Design and Installation

Dave, owner and operator of Focal Point Landscape Design and Installation is a relentless advocate for the Landscape Horticulture industry. After years of working in the industry he sought further knowledge and attended Dalhousie University (formally Nova Scotia Agricultural College) to study Environmental Horticulture. After completing with honors, his Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Horticulture in 2007, he founded Focal Point in January of 2008. 

 

Dave carries 23 years of landscape contracting experience and continues to be passionate about continued education and horticulture career development. During the winter months he is an instructor for the Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist program, is a past president of Landscape New Brunswick and continues to sit on  various industry committees. He is dedicated to helping the landscape industry and small businesses thrive through hard work, professionalism, and continued education. 

Focal Point Landscape Design and Installation is extremely fortunate to have great people on their team and has been recognized with multiple awards of excellence for their workmanship. Dave and his team continue to strive for excellence and the company has now evolved into a family owned and operated business with Dave’s wife Lesley joining the company in 2019. Dave and Lesley are blessed to have two beautiful daughters, Annie and Maggie.

Jordan O'Brien

Jordan O'Brien

Position on the Board: Executive Member | Company: Porter O'Brien

Jordan has worked for over 20 years in the areas of government affairs, communications and management strategy.  After a 10-year career with the provincial government, he started a private consulting career which has included serving as co-founder and partner at Porter O’Brien, a Fredericton-based communications and management consulting agency. 
 
He has been a member of the Chamber since 2019, and became a member of the policy committee in 2020 and the board in 2021. He also serves on the boards of directors of the Mackenzie Institute, a national think tank and charity that focuses on security issues, and Fredericton Regional Youth Services Inc., an operator of facilities that provide therapeutic services for youth experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. 
 
Except for a stint of several years in Ottawa, Jordan has resided in Fredericton since 1999. 

Fanny Bodart

Fanny Bodart

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: The Property Ladies

Fanny is the owner/broker and lead agent of ‘The Property Ladies’ real estate company. She has called Fredericton home since mid-2007 when she emigrated here from Belgium with her four children and has actively been promoting our beautiful city and province ever since. 

Over the years, she has built a successful real estate business creating her own brand and running her own independent brokerage. Working with both national, international and local clients, Fanny brings the highest professional standards to the table and has extensive knowledge of the local and provincial real estate market. 

With two legal degrees from the University of Brussels, fluent knowledge of English, French, Dutch/Flemish (with a little bit of German and Spanish as well) she created a detailed, structured approach to help you navigate through the buying and selling process and has a long successful track record to show for it. 

Passionate about attracting newcomers, talent and investment to Fredericton and New Brunswick in general, she knows and understands the complexity of the business immigration process, having gone through it herself. She is always there to help newcomers during their exploratory visits and at their arrival, working on their behalf with the Chamber’s Immigration Advocacy Committee and now as a member of the Board of Directors. 

Fanny is also active in several committees in the New Brunswick Real Estate Association and, apart from her real estate/brokerage license, has a Commissioner of Oaths’ license as well. Her previous professional experience includes: business consulting, general management, human resources, legal counsel, recruitment etc. 

She is utterly committed to her clients, always follows up and works with the result in mind: buying or selling your property. ‘I say what I do and do what I say’ is her motto while delivering optimal service to all property and business owners. 

Catherine McLatchie

Catherine McLatchie

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Moss Hachey Law

Catherine attended Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and graduated with a double degree in Business Administration and Arts, focusing on Marketing and Spanish. In her third year of university, she completed a year abroad at the Universidad de La Rioja in Logroño, Spain. This is also where her love of wine blossomed.

After completing her business degree, she worked in various business-related positions in Germany, Australia, Chile, USA and numerous cities within Canada. She also has travelled to many more countries out of love for multiculturalism and the desire to learn more about people and their cultures. 

In 2014, Catherine set sail for Canterbury, England to commence law school at the University of Kent. Upon her return to Canada in 2016, she started working at Foster & Company as a legal assistant while self-studying the National Committee on Accreditation exams to convert her law degree. She was hired as an associate with Foster & Company in August 2018.

Catherine works as a civil litigation lawyer and focuses primarily on personal injury and insurance disputes, professional negligence, CPP disability and long-term disability disputes. Catherine also has experience in employment law and prepares Wills and Power of Attorneys. She is currently on maternity leave but prior to her departure, she was beginning to further her practice into immigration law.

Catherine loves being involved with her community; she has been serving on the Canadian Bar Association’s Access to Justice subcommittee since June 2021. This subcommittee seeks to provide access to justice to all those in need and to implement procedures and frameworks that assist in doing just that. Catherine Chairs of the Chamber of Commerce’s Governance Committee which provides the framework for the Board’s compliance in ensuring we maintain the integrity of the Chamber and how we conduct ourselves.

Catherine loves to spend time with her husband and two children. She can be seen around Fredericton supporting local restaurants, breweries, the markets and lots of other small businesses. She is very honored to be serving on the Chamber’s board for a third year.

Tosin Ajibola

Tosin Ajibola

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Welkom-U Inc.

Tosin Ajibola, is a Computer Scientist, Entrepreneur and Co-founder at Welkom-U Inc, a technology enabled start-up, established to help and support newcomers settle in a new community, leveraging technology and digitalizing the experience while achieving retention and promoting socio-economic growth in smaller communities within Canada.

He earned a master’s degree in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He was a recipient of the RBC Community leadership Award in 2020 and a recipient of the Canadian Information Processing Society Award for Leadership in Innovation.  He was Awarded 30 under 30 Innovators in Atlantic Canada in 2021, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant in 2022 & Top Youth Immigrant in Canada 2022 by the Canadian Immigrant Magazine.

He hails originally from Nigeria and was born to a family of 5, raised by both Prof. & Dr Ajibola along with his two elder siblings.  Prior to immigrating and co-founding Welkom-U Inc in Canada, he worked as a Product Manager for 3 years at Appzone Group, A leading Fintech provider in Africa and led multiple project teams to deliver enterprise solutions at top banks in Africa.

Tosin is a member of the Atlantic Growth Solutions Team, he also serves on the board of Venn Innovation and on the Advisory Board at Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF). Tosin also leads the Atlantic Canada Chapter of the BlackBoysCode, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the future of young black boys through Computer Science and Technology.

Tosin is passionate about solving Problems using technology, as well as promoting social impact. He is inspired to help future entrepreneurs understand the hurdles he faced integrating into a new community, starting a company and how he navigates through them. When he’s not working, Tosin can be found playing basketball, reading books, or playing video games.

Stanley Barnaby

Stanley Barnaby

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: JEDI (Joint Economic Development Initiative)

Stanley Barnaby is the CEO of the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI), a leading Indigenous organization dedicated to working with partners to foster Indigenous economic development in New Brunswick. With a passion for Indigenous business and economic development, Stanley also took on the role of President at the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) in 2021. CANDO is a national organization dedicated to leading community economic development.

Proud member of the Mi’gmaq Listiguj First Nation in Quebec and born in New Hampshire USA, Stanley chose Fredericton as his home while studying Business at the University of New Brunswick. In addition to his B.A, Stanley also holds a First Nation Business Administration certificate, Technological Aboriginal Economic Development certification, Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer certification, Management Development Program certificate, and a master’s certificate in Project Management.

Community is at the heart of Indigenous business and economic development; therefore, wise practice includes planning with the next 7 generations in mind. Stanley supports future business development and capacity building by supporting mentorship for youth and by including elders and knowledge holders into his planning.

Residing in Sitansisk First Nation, an Urban Wolastoqey community situated on the banks of the Wolastoq river, Stanley, his fiancé Megan, and their sons enjoy taking in the music and food scenes that the Capital city has to offer.

Stanley is looking forward to representing Indigenous business alongside allies and neighbors at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

 

Noel Eustace

Noel Eustace

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Instant Imprints Fredericton

Noel and his wife Karen own and operate the Instant Imprints franchise in Fredericton, a complete branding solutions provider, and is the regional franchise developer for Atlantic Canada.

 Noel has been a member of the marketing committee for Fredericton Chamber and now Chairs the Tack Force for Events & Networking. He also represents the Fredericton Chamber on the Board of Directors for the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

 Predominately, Noel is an entrepreneur. Having owned and developed many businesses within his career, Noel has also worked with several global organizations, bringing experience from multiple industry sectors. Professionally, Noel’s background includes a BBA from Acadia and an MBA from U de M in Marketing, specifically International Marketing and Multicultural Communications. Also, with industry designations, in sales and project management, Noel is also a corporate trainer for other Instant Imprints franchisees throughout North America, and is a marketing and strategy consultant for the parent company, Instant Imprints Transatlantic Inc. He has also mentored with NBCC’s Oasis entrepreneurship program.

 A firm believer of volunteering within the community, Noel has been member of Rotary for over 33 years and is also a past officer of Rotary International. He has served many roles within Rotary, spearheading several bold community initiatives along the way. He continues to serve as the Chair of the Rotary Leadership Institute (Atlantic/Atlantique) and Past Chair of the Rotary Youth programs within Atlantic Canada and St Pierre Miquelon. He is also certified high-performance hockey coach and an avid sailor. Noel and Karen have three adult children, all living in the greater Fredericton area.

Jenna Evans

Jenna Evans

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Stiletto: Make A Point

Jenna is an experienced project manager, facilitator, and market researcher who excels at energizing and mobilizing teams. She has led complex, multi-stakeholder projects and generated high-impact results for research parks, government, and industry clients. As the Director of Operations and Team Lead at Stiletto: Make a Point, Jenna has guided project teams to success by providing strong, personalized support from the planning stage through implementation. A skilled coordinator and communicator, she takes a proactive approach to involving project partners and maintaining engagement over the course of the project journey.

Jenna is an Master of Business Administration candidate at the University of New Brunswick and she has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Marketing) from UNB. During her undergraduate program, she was selected as a teaching assistant and was the winner of UNB’s 2019 APEX Business Plan Competition. Recognized for her strategic thinking and market intelligence, Jenna has been sought out as a mentor, invited speaker, and APEX Competition judge.

Devansh Bavishi

Devansh Bavishi

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: IG Wealth Management

“Devansh and his wife Vidhu were born and raised in India, after leaving India they spent 6 years in the United States before immigrating to Fredericton in 2013.
Speaking four languages presented lots of opportunities throughout Canada, but after discovering Fredericton they found everything they were looking for and settled here. They are proud to be part of the exclusive club of “Choose Fredericton,” where they welcomed their son.

Professionally, Devansh is a well-respected Area Leader with IG Wealth Management. He has MSc and MBA degrees and holds RRC, CFP, and CLU designations. The financial industry and IG Wealth Management has recognized Devansh with numerous awards, including the Herbert H Carnegie, and the Dunstall awards.  For 8 years he successfully established and ran a personal Wealth Management Practice before transitioning to a leadership role with IG Head Office.

Devansh has a passion to give back to community. He has served on multiple non-profit boards and committees in Fredericton as well as industry organizations. The family are big food enthusiasts, who also enjoy exploring the beautiful province of NB. In the summer, Devansh and family can be found at the splash pad, Garrison or Boyce Farmer’s markets.”

Ashley Dearing

Ashley Dearing

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Dearing Media

A passionate entrepreneur and public speaker, Ashley Dearing is the dynamic founder and CEO of Dearing Media, a boutique digital marketing agency that specializes in helping established New Brunswick entrepreneurs delegate their marketing efforts, through services such as, social media management, video content creation, copywriting, web development, and graphic design.

Ashley’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2017. In 2021, she transitioned from her first business – a successful video and photo production company – armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience to build upon.

She’s also known as a devoted community volunteer. Giving back to her community has always been important to Ashley, and she has generously volunteered her time in a variety of roles over the years.

Her days are fueled by oat milk lattes and the joy of being a proud Fur Mom to two adorable cats + one trusty sidekick dog. But what truly ignites Ashley’s passion is motivating others to succeed in their pursuits and reach their full potentials!

With her ever-bubbly personality, contagious enthusiasm, and unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit, Ashley has become an influential force both within the industry and her community. She is dedicated to helping businesses grow with creativity and drive, while also making a positive impact on the lives of others.

 

Scott McMullin

Scott McMullin

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Covey Basics

Scott, Co-Owner and Operations Manager at Covey Basics. Scott received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree from UNB in 2017 and was a member of the Cross-Country and Track and Field teams during his time there. 

Prior to his work at Coveys, Scott worked as a Wildland Firefighter in Western Canada for several years. During this time, Scott had the opportunity to work with various communities in need and gained experience with multiple agencies working together to attain a common goal. 

Scott is proud to be a part of his family-owned business of over 75-years. Interacting with his customers and finding solutions to unique customer needs is what he enjoys most.

During his free time, you can find Scott enjoying the outdoors with his wife and daughter, either running, biking or skiing on the beautiful trails around Fredericton

Cameron McNeil

Cameron McNeil

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: Par 94 Golf Inc.

Cam is the founder and co-owner of Par 94 Golf Inc., which opened in Fredericton in 2021 and now has two locations in Atlantic Canada. Cam’s passion for golf started at a young age, however his career within the golf industry started only recently. 

In 2017 he graduated from UNB with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a diploma in technology management and entrepreneurship, and successfully completed the MBA Activator Program. During his time at UNB, he developed a keen interest in entrepreneurship and volunteering with extensive involvement with the UNB and STU Enactus teams. After 4 years in a technical sales role after graduation, he made the exciting decision to start his own business and follow his passion for golf and entrepreneurship.

Cam gained his professional golf status in 2022 and is currently an Apprentice Professional of the PGA of Canada. He works extensively with growing the game of golf at Fredericton Golf Club, Par 94, Golf NB, Golf NS, and other partners.

In his free time off the golf course, you can find Cam cooking, socializing with friends, or sitting down to enjoy a good boardgame or Sudoku puzzle. Cam is excited to bring his personal experience as a young entrepreneur to the Chamber of Commerce and give back to the Fredericton community that helped shape who he is today.

Danielle Pelletier

Danielle Pelletier

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: VIVA Therapeutic Services

Danielle grew up in Balmoral, a small community in northern New-Brunswick and moved to Fredericton approximately 30 years ago.  Danielle is the founder and owner of VIVA Therapeutic Services, a company that provides evidence-based services to preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.  VIVA Therapeutic Services went through a large expansion 5 years ago, becoming the service provider for the whole province, employing over 350 individuals.

Danielle has a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from University of Montreal and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.  When asked “Why does she do the work that she does?”, her response is that she likes to make a difference in children lives, one little person at a time.  Danielle believes in team work and in empowering others to be the best version of themselves.

In her free time, Danielle likes to practice yoga and to walk her dog, Wallace.  She also has a passion for traveling and exploring the world. She is the proud mother of a son, AJ and has two granddaughters, Adelyn and Mabel.

Kelsey Seymour

Kelsey Seymour

Position on the Board: Board Member | Company: CC Goodwin Consulting Inc.

Kelsey Seymour is a marketing communications professional with a passion for building strategy, creating content, helping others and achieving results. She specializes in strategic engagement, marketing communications, digital marketing, public relations and copywriting. She has more than 10 years of sector experience in non-profits, higher education, IT and government, including the University of New Brunswick, the University of British Columbia, Mitacs and the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE).

 As Director, Communications & Engagement with CCGoodwin Consulting, Kelsey has led marketing communications projects for Fredericton clients in the housing, innovation, research and education sectors, as well as corporate plans, communications and engagement strategies for several national clients in the research, education and cybersecurity sectors.

 Kelsey’s big-picture, data-driven mindset is complemented by her collaborative approach and creative talents. Her creative vision, direction and leadership have won her teams numerous awards for digital annual reports, websites, videos and social media ads.

 Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of New Brunswick and certificates in Indigenous Canada (University of Alberta) and Change Management (PROSCI).

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