Justin Cantafio, President

Justin is anchored by a steadfast belief in the power of small-scale, community-based businesses to build truly sustainable social and economic development. It’s what drove him to spend his master’s degree living and working on ten organic farms from Quebec to the Pacific Coast. He’s since helped with managing Atlantic Canada’s first sustainable seafood subscription program through Off the Hook Community Supported Fishery, worked with the Ecology Action Centre to spearhead a Canada-wide program to promote locally-sourced food in schools, universities, and hospitals, and connected small-scale fishers and aquaculturalists with high-value markets across Nova Scotia and beyond with Halifax’s Afishionado Fishmongers.

Justin is currently the Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, a non-profit cooperative of over 35 farmers’ markets throughout the province. When he’s not crafting up ideas to re-localize our economy and promote local businesses, you might find Justin running in the woods, cooking up big hearty meals with friends, or relaxing in his off-grid cabin by the sea.

Dayle Eshelby, Director & Vice-President

Dayle draws strength from enduring community growth and development. Dayle is the Rural Coordinator for St. Mary’s Silver Economy Engagement Network and a Lockeport Town Councillor. Dayle leads RESOLVE! Management enhancing development leadership by empowering an organization’s people and has Community Service Employment Support Caseworker experience. Involvement with academic institutions include Research Assistant and Coordinator in a partnership with Mount St Vincent University/ Tri-County Women’s Centre, over fifteen years at McGill University and participation in the President’s Roundtable at the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education National Convection. Locally Dayle was Lockeport’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) Coordinator and is Chairperson of numerous community boards.

Natalie Weder, Director & Treasurer

Natalie is driven to address the environmental and social crises we are facing, and believes community empowerment is vital in this aim. In an effort to connect people to planet, she has led student clubs devoted to getting youth outside and acting against climate change. With a BSc in biology from Acadia University, she now works as a research scientist at a biotech company producing renewable omega-3 supplements.

She enjoys living among Nova Scotia’s close-knit towns, but also draws from her experience growing up in Haida Gwaii, BC, to envision resilient and vibrant communities. She spends her free time hiking, watching birds, and growing vegetables. 

Gillian Kerr, Director & Secretary

Dr. Gillian Kerr is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Dalhousie, coordinating the Rural Futures Research Centre and working with the ‘Perceptions of Climate Change and Social Futures’ project. She is also adjunct faculty at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC where she teaches environmental and ecological economics for decision-making. She recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University in the RESNET research group on ecosystem service research and application across Canada.

Her doctoral thesis, “Market-Based Approaches for Environmental Governance: Exploring the Implementation Gap in Alberta” explored governance issues that have impeded that application of MBIs for environmental objectives in Alberta. Her research interests include ecosystem services theory and application for sustainable communities, and the application of ecological economics to enhance sustainable futures. She has recently moved to Halifax from Edmonton, Alberta.

Dr. Maria Rodriguez, Director

Dr. Maria Rodriguez was born and raised in Venezuela and emigrated to Canada 26 years ago. After living in Quebec and Ontario, she has called PEI home for the past ten years. Maria recently retired after twenty years with the federal public service, where she held a variety of responsibilities, most recently with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as Manager, Science Policy and Partnerships. She has many years of experience in science-based policy analysis, participatory processes, and partnership development, nationally and internationally, and is a strong advocate for inclusive decision-making processes and the need to create spaces and build capacity for active citizen engagement. Maria holds an agriculture engineering degree from the Central University of Venezuela and a PhD from McGill University, Montreal.

Christopher Googoo, Director

Chris joined Ulnooweg Development Group in April 2000 as a Procurement Liaison Officer, supporting Aboriginal businesses access procurement opportunities with government and private sector industries. In 2004, he accepted a Commercial Account Manager position serving the Nova Scotia region. In 2006, he was appointed General Manager of Ulnooweg. In recognition of Chris’s contribution to the overall management of Ulnooweg as a growing organization, Chris’s title was changed to Chief Operating Officer in 2017.

He is a member of the Tripartite Economic Development Working Committee, Board member of the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia and the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia. In 2016 he was elected to the Board of the Atlantic Provinces Chamber of Commerce and in 2018 he was appointed to the Innovacorp Board. His previous work has included membership with the Atlantic Aboriginal Economic Developers Network and the Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office. He was also a board member of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association representing the Atlantic and Quebec region for over a decade.

Chris has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from St. Francis Xavier University and is a member of the We’koqma’q First Nation living with his wife and three children in Millbrook.

Phil Ferraro, Director

Phil Ferraro, is on the board of directors for the Centre for Local Prosperity and on the advisory board of Gifts from the Heart Inc. His mentors included social theorist Murray Bookchin, environmental scientist Dr. John Todd and Samuel Kaymen, Founder of the Natural Organic Farmers Association (currently Northeast Organic Farming Association); The Rural Education Center, and Stonyfield Farm Inc.

Phil’s master’s degree in Social Ecology included a thesis on creating food and energy self-reliance in northern climates with studies in renewable energy, organic agriculture, community development, and social responsibility. He is also an early pioneer of permaculture design; having received his accreditation in 1995. 

In the early 90’s Phil introduced a series of environmental education courses at the University of Prince Edward Island which led to his co-founding The Institute for Bioregional Studies Ltd. (IBS) in 1995.   From 1999 – 2016, IBS has managed a series of far-reaching programs on behalf of the PEI ADAPT Council, Agriculture Canada and Bioenterprise Inc., helping agriculture and agri-food producers respond to emerging issues and develop new ways of doing business. 

In 2014, IBS, in partnership with the PEI Farm Centre Association, created The Legacy Garden which has grown to become one of the largest urban farms in Canada. Today, the Garden operates as a social enterprise helping alleviate food insecurity by donating thousands of pound of food to various charities while also operating a Therapeutic Horticulture program.  The Garden and Therapeutic Horticulture program are in the process of expanding on a second site, in Eastern PEI, on land managed by IBS.

Barb Smeltzer CSR-P, Director

Barb is a corporate social responsibility professional with more than 20+ years of experience in the corporate philanthropy and nonprofit space. She has a degree in Cultural Anthropology which sparked her love of understanding the human journey. Her roots in Nova Scotia run deep, as her paternal ancestors are one of the settler families of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay, coming from Germany in 1752. Although Barb grew up all across Canada, she decided to make Nova Scotia her home in 2018 to be closer to her father’s side of the family and to embrace coastal living. Since then, Barb has become a concerned citizen in how the province can thrive in these uncertain times, building pathways for all Nova Scotians to have a high quality of life.

Barb presently is a Senior Manager, Philanthropy, Impact Team with Salesforce leading strategic grant investments in the areas of education, workforce development and thriving communities. She also serves as the Global Growth Chair for WINDforce (World Indigenous Network of Diversity), a Salesforce equality group. As a dedicated ally, she provides awareness and education around truth and reconciliation for internal employees. In her personal time, Barb enjoys communing with the natural beauty of Nova Scotia with her magical dog Merlin, a 7. 5 year old Lab/Shepherd mix and rescue.

Rose Hamilton, Director

Rose is best described as an “octopus”, constantly learning new ways to bring people together for the common good. Reflecting her outlook, Rose has worked in community development, food security, and sustainable economic development in over a dozen countries. Larger projects have included sustainable economic integration of new EU (former East Bloc) countries and cross-border initiatives under the EU’s Rafael (cultural), Interreg IIb, and IIc (rural) funding. Other project leadership includes international sustainable tourism conferences and maritime heritage events.  She provides seminars and training for intercultural collaboration, communications, and marketing.

As fundraiser and grant writer for projects, charities, and non-profits, Rose has raised over $150 million from EU and Canadian governments, corporate and private foundations & sponsors, as well as individual donors.

An enthusiastic holistic nutritionist, Rose delivers workshops and organizes programs on community food security; Indigenous and other food traditions & health; nutrition for special needs and at-risk children; and more.  She has also been a voluntary paralegal on refugee asylum cases, orchestral musician, and is a published poet.

Rose honours the people in her life who guide and improve her, personally and professionally. Mother, auntie, and grandmother, Rose lives on a farm in the ancestral unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. She enjoys testing (and eating!) what she is learning about permaculture, growing in friendship and community with neighbours.