Session Presenters

MNL is proud to welcome the following people to the stage at the 2024 Municipal Symposium, May 2 to 4 in Gander, N.L.

Presenters listed in random order.

Anne Whelan
CEO of BrightIsle

Hailing from Jerseyside (Placentia) Anne is an entrepreneur, corporate director, and business and healthcare leader as well as principal shareholder and Chief Executive Officer of Seafair Capital, one of Canada’s Best Managed companies, with investments in community and behavioural health, wellness, and safety. Anne has worked in the community sector for over 30 years, founding several care organizations, and contributing to national healthcare standards. In addition to leading her group of companies, Anne serves on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada where she chairs the Audit Committee and is also a Director with CSA Group and Nova Leap Health (NLH:CVE), and Vice-Chair of The Gathering Place. She’s also chairing the capital campaign to support the Placentia Regional Wellness Centre. Anne has been named one of the Most Powerful Women in Canada, Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year, and was recently inducted into the 2023 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame

Zach Burrows
Executive Director, Stewardship Association of Municipalities Inc.

Joining the SAM in 2021 as a Conservation Biologist, Zach Burrows has served as the Executive Director for SAM since 2022. After receiving an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree with specialization in history from the University of Ottawa, Zach started in the environmental industry as a Red-Seal Certified Landscape Horticulturist, and later acquired a Fish and Wildlife technician diploma from the College of the North Atlantic. From the rugged coastline of the Avalon Peninsula, the rocky tablelands of Newfoundland’s west coast to the sandy shores of Nova Scotia, Zach has practiced conservation across Newfoundland and throughout Atlantic Canada for a myriad of species and their habitat. With his wife, son, and daughter, Zach has rooted himself on the Rock and is dedicated to helping the leaders of this province in their conservation efforts.

Heather Baehre
NL Conservation Coordinator, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Heather Baehre is the conservation coordinator for the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador. In her role, she assesses potential areas for protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), researches policies relating to creative conservation methods, and builds partnerships with land managers across the province.

Jen Crowe
Senior Director, Strategy, Fund Development and External Relations, Choices for Youth

Jen Crowe is a Senior Director at Choices for Youth where she leads efforts to scale affordable housing and wrap-around supports in St. John’s and across the province. She represents Newfoundland and Labrador on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Housing Renewal Association, contributing to national strategies to invest in affordable and supportive housing across the country. Jen has led significant efforts to measure the need and impact of investing in affordable housing and wrap-around supports across the province. She led the implementation of Choices for Youth’s first impact measurement strategy, and authored “Forward Together”, a provincial analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on hundreds of close to 500 youth across the province. Most recently, Jen co-led the development of a report on housing insecurity across Newfoundland and Labrador in partnership with Municipalities NL and Hope Jamieson. Jen holds a Masters in Public Administration from Western University.

Rod Hynes
Executive Council, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Rod is the Municipal Access and Privacy Analyst with the ATIPP Office. He has over 13 years of access to information and protection of privacy experience having worked at Eastern Health, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Industry Energy and Technology as a coordinator and as privacy policy specialist with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Before making the shift to access and privacy Rod worked for many years in business management, as a paralegal with a large Atlantic Canadian law firm and as an investigator with the Office of the Citizens’ Representative. Rod was born and raised in a small community in Trinity Bay and is appreciative of the uniqueness of municipal concerns as it relates to access to information and protection of privacy. Rod is a certified privacy professional with the International Association of Privacy Professionals, a certified access and privacy professional with the Canadian Institute of Access and Privacy Professionals and recently completed the UNESCO International Access to Information Certification. Fun fact, during the first covid lockdown Rod became a certified access to information practitioner for New Zealand (although he has never been there).

Brad Glynn
Executive Director, Lifewise

Brad Glynn is the Executive Director of Lifewise (formerly CHANNAL), a provincial mental health and addictions charity that is staffed by people with lived experience. Through his position at Lifewise, Brad serves on numerous Boards, committees, and working groups including End Homelessness St. John’s and the Network of Disability Organizations. He supports the amazing team at Lifewise in reducing stigma and providing hope for people with lived experience through peer support services, public education activities, and policy consultation. Before Lifewise, Brad worked as an Educator for over a decade. During this time, he advocated passionately for increasing mental health and social-emotional learning in classrooms from Kindergarten to Grade 12. He worked extensively with teachers in multiple provinces, providing professional development and keynote sessions on the value of teaching children about reflection, empathy, and boundaries, in the development of strong mental wellness.

Don Hearn
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Assessment Agency Inc.

As the Municipal Assessment Agency’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Don Hearn oversees the organization’s continued provision of assessment services to 236 municipalities across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 1990, Don completed his studies in Appraisal/Assessment Technology at the College of the North Atlantic. He began his career the following year with the Assessment Division of the former Newfoundland Department of Municipal Affairs. During the course of his 30+ year career, Don has been involved in all facets of real property assessment and valuation of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the property assessment industry.

Don has extensive experience working with Boards and Stakeholders. As CEO, he is responsible for managing the overall operations of the organization and acting as the key representative when engaging stakeholders. Currently, Don leads the executive team and supervisors in creating diverse teams that produce outstanding results, cultivating long-standing client relations, and driving the organization forward.

Having earned his M.I.M.A. designation, Don is a recognized member of the Institute of Municipal Assessors. He has served on the local executive as a director for District 10 and as chair. Don is currently a member of the IMA’s Accreditation Committee on a national level as Vice-Chair. Don completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Program and received his ICD.D accreditation in September 2023. The ICD.D distinction, granted by the Institute of Corporate Directors, represents a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom, a desire to stay current, and to be a more effective director.

Jody Murray
CAO, Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s

Jody Murray is an accomplished senior executive with over two decades of experience driving successful results in operational management, business development, and strategic governance. With a robust track record of leadership across diverse roles, Jody brings a dynamic and results-oriented approach to her current position as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s.

Prior to her current role, Jody served as the NL Provincial Director for the Atlantic Canada Aerospace and Defence Association (ACADA), where she excelled in developing, managing, and implementing strategic initiatives to meet and exceed organizational objectives. Her proactive approach to stakeholder engagement and advocacy strengthened relationships within the province, fostering collaboration in business development, training, and membership growth. Jody’s extensive experience also includes leadership positions in strategic stakeholder relations, project management, and business development with organizations such as Transportation & Works (TW) Marine Division and FIT For Work. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has been consistently demonstrated through her involvement in process improvement projects, strategic planning, and the execution of impactful initiatives.

Jody is no stranger to Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, having served as Small Towns Director when she was the former Mayor of Bishops Fall from 2005-2009. In addition to her professional achievements, Jody holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from the Gardiner Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Memorial University. Her dedication to lifelong learning and continuous improvement underscores her commitment to excellence in leadership and service.

Dr. Sobia Shaheen Shaikh
Co-Chair, Anti-Racism Coalition NL

Sobia Shaheen Shaikh (she/her) is a social work educator and community-engaged scholar at Memorial University in St. John’s NL. She is also is also an activist, mother, creative writer, and playwright who has deep ties with anti-racist, Indigenous, arts, women’s/gender diverse, queer, disability, youth/student, transformative and environmental justice communities across Canada. She serves as co-chair of the Anti-Racism Coalition NL, co-lead of the Addressing Islamophobia in NL project, and co-president of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women-NL. As well, Sobia is a founding member of The Quilted Collective of Racialized NL Writers and of The Creators’ Collective NL: Indigenous, Racialized and Migrant Artists and Arts Workers.

Doménica Lombeida

Doménica (Dome) Lombeida (they/them) holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a minor in Oceanography from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (MUNL), Dome collaborates with organizations like the Anti-Racism Coalition Newfoundland & Labrador (ARC-NL) where they lead a project addressing barriers in healthcare for migrants. They are active in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, conducting research on healthcare barriers and working with groups like Quadrangle NL and the YWCA. Passionate about creating inclusive community spaces, Dome envisions a better future for marginalized individuals in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Jamie Kennedy
Director of Emergency Services, Department of Justice and Public Safety

Jamie Kennedy joined the Department of Justice and Public Safety as Director of Emergency Services in November 2021. In this role he has responsibility for provincial emergency management and the Provincial Emergency Operations Center. Since taking on this role he has overseen the Province’s emergency response to a number of unprecedented emergency events including the Southwest Coast Rainstorm in 2021, the 2022 Central NL Wildfire Complex and Hurricane Fiona which made landfall on September 24, 2022.

As Director of Emergency Services, Jamie also has responsibility for the Province’s Disaster Financial Assistance Program. He recently received the Public Service of Excellence Award as a member of the leadership team responsible for recovery efforts after Hurricane Fiona. Mr. Kennedy graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a B.Sc. Forestry and Environmental Management in 1996. Prior to joining the Department of Justice and Public Safety’s Emergency Service Division, Jamie worked with the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture serving in progressive leadership roles from District Ecosystem Manager to Director of Legislation and Compliance and more recently Provincial Director of Points of Entry Operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has obtained significant training under the Incident Command System and was trained as an Incident Commander in Portland, Maine.

Jonathan Dale
Associate, Stewart McKelvey

Jonathan’s litigation practice includes having provided assistance to numerous municipalities across the Island and in Labrador on virtually all matters where the law intersects with municipal operations and governance.  He has acted for municipalities at all levels of Court in the Province and at the Regional Appeal Board.  Some of the areas of his municipal law experience include:

• Representing municipalities on construction and commercial disputes, including matters regarding subdivision development, tendering/RFPs, municipal infrastructure and third-party services;
• Assisting in the drafting and revision of municipal regulations;
• Resolution of expropriation compensation claims and responding to allegations of constructive expropriation;
• Representing municipalities at Regional Appeal Board hearings and any subsequent appeals to the Supreme Court in upholding municipal decisions respecting, for example, development approvals and denials and remediation orders.

Justin Hewitt
Partner, Stewart McKelvey

Justin practices in municipal law, general corporate and commercial law, banking and financing, mergers and acquisitions, energy, environmental, natural resources law, and construction law. He has experience advising clients on a range of contractual matters including contract and lease drafting, negotiation, and execution. Justin’s experience with Municipalities include:

• Advising municipalities on acquiring, selling and leasing property;
• Advising municipalities on property taxation and tax sales;
• Advising municipalities on commercial, contractual and regulatory matters.

Stephen Penney
Partner, Stewart McKelvey

Steve practices labour and employment and municipal law (predominately on the litigation side). He has acted for municipalities in a wide array of disputes including: Labour arbitrations, wrongful dismissal cases and labour board matters; Municipal tax cases, included leading cases heard by the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal including Eastern Demolition v Long Harbour and Happy Valley-Goose Bay v Cabot; Leading municipal liability cases, including the recent flooding class action (Dewey v Kruger, et al.); Numerous Appeal Board hearings and statutory appeals on planning and development issues; Cases on constructive taken (including the recent Index v Paradise). Steve also routinely provides counsel on internal municipal matters including on Code of Conduct investigation, conflict of interest, and the creation of policies.

Ruth Trask
Partner, Stewart McKelvey

Ruth’s practice focuses on labour and employment law and administrative law, including judicial reviews. She has advised municipalities on employment issues, union relations, and procedural fairness, as well as policy issues, Code of Conduct, human rights, and harassment matters. Her work with municipal clients has brought her insight into the unique challenges faced by municipalities of all sizes, and she is no stranger to helping a client navigate thorny or novel legal questions. She has experience in privacy law, including dealing with the OIPC and responding to breaches of privacy, including cyber incidents. She is a frequent presenter in the community and regularly appears before administrative tribunals and at all levels of Court. Ruth was named as a Best Lawyer in Canada for Labour and Employment in each of 2023 and 2024.

Christopher Stamp
Director, Municipal Support, Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs

Christopher Stamp graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He has worked in various positions with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in the Departments of Finance, Health and Community Services, and Fisheries, Forestry and Agrifoods, and the Labour Relations Agency. Chris joined the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs in early 2020, where he is the Director of Municipal Support. In this capacity, Chris leads an amazing regional team within the Municipal Support Division who have a deep understanding and knowledge of municipal matters and can assist as your first line of contact. 

Susan Arns
Town Manager/Clerk, Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove

Susan Arns is the Town Manager/Clerk for the Town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove, and also serves on the Board of Directors for Professional Municipal Administrators (PMA) as the Avalon Director. Susan joined the administrative side of municipal government in 2013, and continues to enjoy learning, sharing, and networking to provide the best service to the community and its residents.

Stephen Mercer
Director of Municipal Finance, Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs

Stephen Mercer, CPA, CA, is currently the Director of Municipal Finance with the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. Stephen joined the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2009. Since that time he has held various leadership positions in the Department of Finance, Executive Council, and most recently the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs. Stephen also serves on the Board of Directors for the St. John’s Chapter of the Financial Management Institute. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative) from Memorial University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Deatra Walsh
Director of Advocacy and Communications, MNL

Deatra holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Memorial University in St. John’s, a Master of Rural Development from Brandon University in Manitoba and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Concordia University in Montreal. She began her studies at Carleton University in Ottawa as a journalist.

Deatra’s career stretches across employment in the post-secondary, government and now, non-governmental sector. She worked with the Government of Nunavut for four years, first as the manager of territorial labour market programming and later as the Director of Poverty Reduction. She has held teaching and postdoctoral research positions at Mount Allison, Memorial, York and Dalhousie University in Canada. She has also worked abroad at UiT: The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø as a postdoctoral researcher and an associate professor in methodology. She remains affiliated with UiT. Deatra uses both quantitative and qualitative methods in the social sciences and conducts research on wellness among aging populations, environmental change, labour mobility, homelessness and popular culture. She has had a long history of working and researching with rural communities in Canada.

Belinda Adams
Mayor, Town of Labrador City

I moved to Labrador City at the age of 3 and have been here ever since. I have worked 32 years with the Iron Ore Company in various roles; through those years I experienced multiple layoffs and remained a student where I studied Psychology and Social Work before returning to full time work in the mine.

I was actively involved with the union for almost half my career and then moved into some leadership roles the rest of my career. I held the positions of supervisor, HSE Superintendent, Contractor Management Superintendent and my last role being Superintendent of Pellet Plant Operations. I have worked on many task force and joint committees. I held positions on the JOSHE committee and also served as team manager and VP for Labrador West Minor Hockey.

My biggest accomplishment is being a proud mother of two boys, Matthew and Nathan Grouchy who live and work in Labrador City currently.  My mother Loretta Adams is retired and living in Labrador City, and I have a sister Keila Adams and a niece and nephew living here as well.

Labrador City is my family’s home and it’s allowed and afforded me the opportunity to raise my boys in a beautiful and safe community, provide my family a good living and so many opportunities to be part of a community we love. I am very grateful for what we have and thankful for the residents and leaders who stepped up and helped make that happen, so it’s time to show my appreciation and pay back to the community.

Small groups of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Brian Keating
Mayor, Town of Marystown

Brian Keating is a proud resident and the Mayor of Marystown. To date, he has served with Council for about three years and while that may seem like a short time, the Town Council has had many accomplishments since September 2021. Keating is currently a member of the Burin Peninsula Joint Council and also Chair of the Burin Peninsula Regional Service Board (waste management) Technical Committee.

Most recently, Keating led the formation of the Burin Peninsula Energy Advisory Board under the Joint Council with member representation from the peninsula.

Brian Keating’s professional career includes 20+ years as Project/Zone Manager with Connective Energy (US Division), 5 years as Site Manager with Muskrat Falls, 3 years as Project Manager with Vale in Long Harbour and 3 years as Project Manager with Vale in Long Harbour in conjunction with the Bull Arm-Hebron Project. He is currently CEO of Progressive Power and has held the position for the past 3 years.

Since being elected to Council, he has worked hard to give back to not only his community of Marystown, but to the Burin Peninsula as a whole.

Rob Greenwood
Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Engagement, and Chief Economic Development Officer

Rob Greenwood assumed the role of Deputy Minister, Rural and Regional Development and Engagement, and Chief Economic Development Officer, for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on September 5, 2023. Prior to that, he served as Associate Vice President (Public Engagement and External Relations) at Memorial University, and was founding Director of the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development. His responsibilities also included the Signal Hill Campus, Alumni Engagement, Strategic External Relations, the Botanical Gardens and the Newfoundland Quarterly.

Before working at Memorial, Rob served as a Director and Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy in Economic Development departments in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, he led the development of the provincial economic strategy. He was Vice President, Corporate Development, Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan, and was founding Director of the Sustainable Communities Initiative, a partnership of the University of Regina, the City of Regina and the National Research Council of Canada.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, he was Director of Research and Principal Author of the 1995 Report of the Task Force on Community Economic Development, and led the process to establish Regional Economic Development Boards in 20 Economic Zones. He also led the development of a strategy for small-scale manufacturing in Newfoundland and Labrador, which was launched in 1999.

Rob has taught, consulted, published and presented extensively on community economic and regional development, strategic economic planning, innovation, sectoral and cluster development, public engagement, and knowledge mobilization.

Rob holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Business Studies from the University of Warwick, England, which he attended as a Commonwealth Scholar and an Institute of Social and Economic Research Doctoral Fellow. He completed his Masters in History at York University and his B.A. (Hons.) at Memorial University. He has been awarded lifetime achievement awards from the Economic Developers Association of Canada, the Newfoundland and Labrador Economic Developers Association, and the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation, and was awarded the Pinnacle Award for Organizational Leadership from the International Association of Business Communicators, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Brad Hefford

Brad Hefford is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in both municipal and provincial governments. Serving over 10 years as a Municipal Administrator in leadership roles, including as Regional Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, Committed to professional growth, recent completion of the Executive Leadership Program from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators in 2024, underscoring his dedication to public service and operational excellence.

Jim Piercey

Jim Piercey is a dedicated volunteer at Evangel Community Church with a passion and heart to serve the community. Jim is currently Chair of the Church Community Support Committee. This Committee has been instrumental in opening a Men’s Transitional Shelter in Gander and continues to coordinate community meals, food bank drives and work with other community partners.