Board Members
Directors 2024
| Charlie MacLean – North Sydney | 2 – 2027 | Chair | |
| Barb Boates Sweet – Halifax | 2 – 2026 | Vice-Chair | |
| Robin MacAdam – Halifax | 1 – 2025 | Secretary | |
| Avila Coutinho – Windsor | 2 – 2026 | Treasurer | |
| Linda Best – Wolfville | Ex-officio | Managing Director | |
| Murray Coolican – Halifax | 2 – 2025 | Director | |
| Robert MacEachern – New Glasgow | 2 – 2025 | Director | |
| Danny Martin – Dartmouth | 1 – 2026 | Director | |
| Hana Nelson – Big Island | 1 – 2026 | Director | |
| Stephen Read – Sandfield CBRM | 1 – 2027 | Director | |
| Hélène Branch – Wentzell Lake | 1 – 2027 | Director | |
| Lindsay Reid – North Alton | 1 – 2027 | Director | |
| Chris Payne – Halifax | 1 – 2026 | Independent Director | |
| John Wray – Woodville | 1 – 2026 | Independent Director | |
| Ginny Point – Black River | Advisor |
Ginny Point – Advisor
Ginny Point has a long standing interest in agriculture and healthy food. It started years ago when working …
Charlie MacLean – Chair
Charlie MacLean grew up in North Sydney, and spent many hours working in the family garden. Upon completing …
Avila Coutinho – Treasurer
Avila immigrated to Canada as a teenager and was drawn to the big city of Toronto with it’s skyscrapers, transportation, theatre and …
Linda Best, Managing Director
Founding Member, Co-chair and Treasurer of FarmWorks, Chair Friends of Agriculture in NS, …
Barb Boates Sweet – Vice-chair
Barb grew up in the Annapolis Valley on a small hobby farm that grew strawberries, beans andapples. As a child, she …
Stephen Read – Director
I was raised in Sydney Nova Scotia, spending my early years both in the city and in the rural …
Joe MacEachern – Director
Robert MacEachern grew up in the Antigonish area and has moved back to New Glasgow with his …
Murray Coolican – Director
Murray Coolican has held leadership positions in not-for-profit, government, political and private sectors. He has worked in the …
Robin McAdam – Secretary
Robin McAdam has worked in business development for most of the past 20 years with a focus on renewable energy. He is currently …
Hana Nelson – Director
In 2014 Hana founded Afishionado, a sustainable, transparent and Nova Scotian based …
Hélène Branch – Director
I’m an Acadian originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick. I met my husband in Ottawa where I lived for 12 years and we moved …
Chris Payne – Independent Director
Chris Payne is a retired professional accountant (MBA, CPA) who spent 28 years working for the …
Danny Martin – Director
Danny Martin is a well known local musician who has played the Trombone since he was thirteen. Besides …
John Wray, Independent Director
John operates Tuckamore Acres with his partner Lauren and his two children at the foot of the North …
Lindsay Reid – Director
I was born and raised in the Niagara Region of Ontario.
I attended the University of Western Ontario and Brock University where I graduated with Bachelors …
CEDIF Program history and overview