Board of Directors

Our board of directors is governed by volunteers who generously give us their time and share our passion for change in Nova Scotia. Working with our executive director, they provide invaluable practical experience and knowledge to help set overall policy and strategic direction for the organization.

Mohammad Ali Raza

Chairperson

Mohammad Ali Raza immigrated to Canada to reunite with his family in 2014. He practices corporate law with Cox & Palmer supporting businesses in a wide variety of sectors. From drafting complex contracts to advising on consumer protection laws, Mohammad Ali is keen to provide practical solutions to the challenges his clients face at every stage and aspect of their business operations. He is currently the chair of the firm’s Ocean Innovation group.
Mohammad Ali joined the Feed Nova Scotia board in 2019. In addition to his work with Feed Nova Scotia, he is also Director of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Director of Marine Renewables Canada. 

Roddy Macdonald

Vice Chairperson

Roddy provides human resource and governance consulting services to clients in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience gained across multiple industries including manufacturing, transportation, municipal government, and commercial crown corporations.

In addition to Feed Nova Scotia, Roddy serves on the Board of Governors of Saint Mary's University, where he is Chair of the Governance Committee. He served for seven years on the board of Symphony Nova Scotia, where he has chaired both the HR and Governance committees. He has also served on the board of directors for a national retail chain, where he was a member of the Technology Committee and chaired the Governance Committee.

Roddy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University. He has a Certificate in Negotiation & Conflict Management from Dalhousie University. He holds a Chartered Professional in Human Resources designation (CPHR), as well as the governance designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

Since joining the Feed Nova Scotia board in 2021, Roddy has served as Secretary and as a member of the Audit Committee; last year he also served on the Governance Committee. He is excited to be part of the Feed Nova Scotia team seeking to understand and address the root causes of food insecurity in Nova Scotia.

Sylvia Parris-Drummond

Past Chairperson

Sylvia is currently the CEO of the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute.  Sylvia provides leadership to the organization through the identification of opportunities, awareness and capacity building, and the implementation of initiatives designed to improve the education environment and well-being for African Nova Scotian learners, educators and communities.

Sylvia has more than two decades of experience in the field of education, strategic engagement, and policy planning and execution. She has extensive public-sector involvement through which Sylvia has gained a deep understanding for what it takes to conduct meaningful policy analysis, and strengthen citizen engagement.

Her passion and commitment to Nova Scotian communities is evident through community volunteering and give-back via her SVPARRIS CONSULTING private business.  She believes in lifelong learning, holding multiple master level degrees in the social science and education disciplines.

Photo credit: Nicola Davison

Headshot of Maxime Lessard

Max Lessard

Treasurer

Max is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He has over 16 years of experience providing assurance services to public and private companies operating in various industries. Max graduated from Dalhousie University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and went on to obtain his Chartered Accountant designation in 2009.

Max joined the Feed Nova Scotia Board in 2018 and also serves on the Audit Committee. Aside from his work with Feed Nova Scotia, Max is involved with a number of other local organizations, from donating his time through the Economics for Success program put on by Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia, to participating in fundraising activities for Heart & Stroke of Nova Scotia and the Make a Wish Foundation.

Patricia Bradshaw, PhD, ICD.D

Secretary

Pat completed her term as Dean of the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University in May of 2018 and retired from the University in September of 2022.  Her research interests include governance of non-profit organizations, change management and organizational power and politics from an intersectional feminist and social justice lens. She is currently active as a consultant and facilitator in the areas of strategic planning and non-profit governance.

Dumas Bernard

Member Representative

Kim Burns

Member Representative

Robert Strang

Dr. Robert Strang is Chief Medical Officer of Health with the Department of Health and Wellness of Nova Scotia.  He received his medical degree from University of British Columbia and completed Family Practice and Public Health and Preventive Medicine residencies at UBC.

As Chief MOH, he has provided leadership around the renewal of public health in Nova Scotia as well as raising awareness around the importance of creating policies and environments that support better health for Nova Scotian families and communities.  He is passionate about public health and has worked with non-government organizations such as Smoke Free Nova Scotia, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Public Health Association of Nova Scotia.

"Being on the board of Feed Nova Scotia is a wonderful opportunity to merge my belief in community service with key public health issues of food and economic insecurity."

Mark Fullerton

Mark Fullerton is the Director of Corporate Development at Resolute Health, a private healthcare service provider primarily focused on the testing and treatment of patients with sleep apnea and snoring. At Resolute, Mark’s role involves expanding Resolute’s footprint organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across the country. Mark graduated from Saint Mary’s with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2012 and proceeded to obtain the Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2013.

Mark also volunteers his time in support of youth soccer in Halifax and the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation.  He knows that access to sufficient food and nutrition is a cornerstone of helping all Nova Scotians achieve their potential, and is looking forward to helping address the food insecurity challenges we face.

woman standing in warehouse

Miranda Mavhunga

Miranda is a Senior Associate in the Financial Advisory team for a Big 4 advisory firm. The focus of her role is enabling clients to achieve their fiscal and operational objectives. Miranda has experience in providing consulting services and financial restructuring strategy to a diverse range of individual and corporate clients.

Miranda holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Memorial University. Miranda is a Chartered Professional Accountant and is currently an Articling Associate of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals.

As a member of the BIPOC community in Nova Scotia, development issues, particularly those affecting minority groups, is something that is close to her heart, which is why she is rallying behind Feed Nova Scotia’s mandate.

Miranda also served as a board member for the Black Business Community Investment Fund Limited.

Joe Fraser

Joseph (Joe) Fraser (he/him) is the Director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, bringing with him more than twenty years of experience and leadership in human rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to joining the Commission, Joe spent three years with the Nova Scotia Community College as Director of Human Rights and Equity Services where he led the College’s work in accessibility, conflict resolution, equity, inclusion, human rights, mental wellness, and sexual violence.

Joe began his career working with adults with disabilities, including as Executive Director of Highland Visions Society. He then joined the Province of Nova Scotia and worked in various roles, including Executive Officer of the Labour Standards Tribunal, Appeal Commissioner with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal, and Director of Respectful Workplace & Corporate Diversity with the Public Service Commission.

Joe is a graduate of Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law. He holds designations as a Certified Diversity Executive and a Chartered Professional in Human Resources. Joe also has certificates in executive leadership development, conflict management, and Mi’kmaw studies.

Joe has spoken at a number of provincial and national conferences and has served as a volunteer director on various boards.

A proud member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Joe lives in Bedford with his husband and is the parent of two adult children.

Mary Ellen Greenough

Mary Ellen Greenough is Director, Legal and Regulatory, with the Eastern Clean Energy Initiative at Nova Scotia Power Inc., working on achieving clean energy goals for our region. Mary Ellen possesses a broad legal background with over two decades of experience focused in the areas of commercial, construction and regulatory law.

Mary Ellen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University.  She was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1999. She is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. Mary Ellen appreciates the opportunity to work with Feed Nova Scotia in its mission to end hunger in our communities by tackling the underlying economic and social causes of food insecurity.

Cynthia Dorrington