As a new academic year begins, we’re pleased to introduce our new Board of Governors members at Mount Saint Vincent University.
New members
Jennifer Best-White
Jennifer Best-White is the Vice-President of Finance at the Micco Group of Companies, a diversified group with operations across retail, hospitality, technology, fitness, warehousing and logistics, and beverage and alcohol industries. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Jennifer brings extensive senior leadership experience in finance, capital allocation, enterprise risk management, governance, and long-term strategic planning. Prior to joining Micco, Jennifer served as Vice-President of Finance at Seaboard Armour Transportation & Logistics and as the Director of Finance at the Halifax International Airport Authority. Jennifer has a strong personal connection to Mount Saint Vincent University as the proud parent of three sons who are currently attending MSVU.
Andrea Coish
Andrea Coish is the Managing Partner of KPMG in Nova Scotia and leads KPMG’s Advisory Services Practice in Atlantic Canada across KPMG’s five Atlantic offices. In Nova Scotia, she leads a team of partners and staff across Audit, Tax and Advisory services in providing exceptional client service across public and private companies and government related clients. Andrea is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Consultant. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University, a Certificate in International Business and Law from Queen’s University, and is an Honourary Trustee of the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation.
Dr. Derek Fisher
Dr. Derek Fisher is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at MSVU. Since joining the university in 2011, he has built an impressive record of service including terms as University Senator, Chair of the Research Ethics Board, member of the Research and Publications Committee, acting Dean of Arts & Science, and Interim Associate Vice-President of Research. An award-winning researcher, Derek uses measures of neural activity to better understand how auditory hallucinations impact information processing in schizophrenia and how commonly used substances, such as nicotine, affect brain function, especially among women. Beyond MSVU, Derek has held leadership positions as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Clinical EEG & Neuroscience and member of the College of Reviewers for Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Helen Hayward
Helen Hayward is the Director of Finance and Operations at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. A Chartered Professional Accountant, Helen has more than 30 years of financial leadership experience, complemented by expertise in governance and government relations. She has completed training with the Institute of Corporate Directors and led the development of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s first governance policy. Helen is an active community volunteer, having served with organizations including the YWCA Halifax, YMCA Saint John, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Kimberly MacLachlan
Kimberly MacLachlan is a lawyer at Stewart McKelvey practicing in corporate and commercial law. She is called to the bar in both Nova Scotia and Ontario, spending her time between Ottawa and Nova Scotia. An MSVU alumna (BPR ’14), Kimberly also holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Dalhousie University. She has experience working for a broad range of clients including crown corporations, healthcare organizations, and privately-owned conglomerates of various sizes and complexity. Kimberly also has a Yellow Belt in Legal Lean Sigma Process Improvement and Project Management. In her spare time, Kimberly enjoys going for walks with her husband, Kody, and Bernese Mountain Dog, Louis.
Melanie McGrath
Melanie McGrath is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at CBCL Limited, an engineering and environmental design consulting firm. She provides leadership in the firm’s risk management, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability initiatives, as well as strategic governance support to the Board of Directors. An MSVU alumna (BPR ’89), Melanie has been a member of the MSVU Board Audit & Risk Committee since 2024. She received her Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University, her MBA from Heriot-Watt University and is a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada, through which she has her GPC.D.
Tracey Newman
Tracey Newman, a Chartered Professional Accountant, is the Vice-President of Prevention and Employer Engagement at the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. An MSVU alumna (BBA ’00), Tracey previously served on the MSVU Board of Governors (2013-2018), chaired the MSVU Board Audit & Risk Committee and served as President of the MSVU Alumni Association. She currently serves on the Canada Games Centre Board of Directors. In recognition of her contributions to workplace health and safety, she was named one of the Top Women in Safety by Canadian Occupational Safety in 2026.
Mika Paul
Mika Paul is the President of the MSVU Students’ Union. A fourth-year honours student in Applied Human Nutrition with a minor in Biology, Mika began their post-secondary studies in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie University before transferring to MSVU. In addition to leading the Students’ Union, Mika serves on the Applied Human Nutrition Student Caucus and has previously held the roles of Transfer Student Representative with the Students’ Union and Executive member of the Food & Nutrition Society. Mika is passionate about public policy, health promotion and wellbeing, science communication, and the visual and performing arts.
Kelly Regan
The Honourable Kelly Regan is a former long-serving member of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly, as well as a former Deputy Premier and cabinet minister. Her portfolios included Advanced Education and Community Services, in addition to serving as Minister of Seniors, Minister of Youth, and the Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act. Kelly has worked closely with universities, senior public servants, elected officials, and community leaders and has extensive experience managing system-level change. Previously, she worked for many years as a television news producer and director. In recognition of her contributions to public service, Kelly has received both the King Charles III Coronation Medal for Public Service and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Vicki Robertson
Vicki Robertson is the Director of Revenue and Treasurer for the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). She is a Chartered Professional Accountant with extensive experience in progressive roles focusing on financial analysis and technology. Vicki has been a member of the MSVU Board Investment Committee since 2024, and also serves as a management representative on the HRM Pension Committee. An MSVU alumna (BBA ’08, with Distinction), she received the Senate Award for highest GPA in her graduating class.
Vanessa Sarkis
Vanessa Sarkis is a member of the Students’ Representative Council within the Students’ Union. She is currently pursuing a degree in Political Studies at MSVU with a minor in Public Policy, and she holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.) from The Lebanese University. Passionate about public service, public policy, governance, and civic engagement, Vanessa is committed to applying her legal knowledge, policy analysis, and leadership experience to make a meaningful contribution to the public sector. Her commitment to helping others is also reflected in her volunteer work with the Lebanese Red Cross, where she has contributed to humanitarian initiatives.
Tanner Saunders
Tanner Saunders is the Vice-President of Student Life with the MSVU Students’ Union. A fourth-year Business Administration student majoring in Management, Tanner joined MSVU after completing a Business Administration diploma at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). Driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and community impact, he served for two years as President of NSCC Truro’s Enactus team where he co-founded a social enterprise called “Wednesday Night Dinner” that provided affordable, zero waste meal kits. A five-time Enactus award winner, Tanner has recently worked with Feed Nova Scotia and is a Residence Assistant at MSVU. Tanner also previously served as the Students’ Union’s Accessibility Representative.
Dr. Nathaniel Street
Dr. Nathaniel Street is Associate Professor in the Department of English at MSVU and Coordinator of the Writing Program. Nathaniel joined MSVU in 2017, bringing with him an admirable teaching record, having previously held the position of Visiting Assistant Professor at Valparaiso University and having won two teaching awards while at the University of South Carolina. His scholarship bridges rhetorical theory, philosophy, and writing pedagogy, and he has shared his work at numerous international conferences. An accomplished scholar, Nathaniel’s recent work draws on the ideas of Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (continental philosophers who often collaborated with one another) as prompts to rethink some important things about rhetoric, especially persuasion and figuration.
Nicola Watson
Nicola Watson is a Partner in the Halifax office of Cox & Palmer with a focus on litigation as well as employment and labour law. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of YWCA Halifax and Council for the Nova Scotia Association of Architects. Nicola previously served on the boards of Supply Chain Canada, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Special Olympics, and Bide Awhile Animal Shelter. She has also led practice-area specific groups at the provincial and national level with the Canadian Bar Association and the Advocates’ Society. She attended the University of New Brunswick and graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.
Returning Chair and Vice-Chair
Patricia Towler, President and CEO of Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia, is now in her second year of a two-year term as Chair of the MSVU board, while Claudette Porter, Vice-President of Technology Investment and Governance at Emera, begins her second year as Vice-Chair.
MSVU is governed using a bi-cameral governance structure consisting of the Board of Governors and the Senate (responsible for academic affairs). The MSVU Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the University, including governance and oversight of the University generally, its property, revenues, expenditures, business and non-academic affairs.
Full list: MSVU Board of Governors 2026-2027
Chair
Patricia Towler, President and CEO, Chartered Professional Accountants Nova Scotia
Vice Chair
Claudette Porter, Vice-President of Technology Investment and Governance, Emera
President
Dr. Joël Dickinson
Vice-President Academic and Provost
Dr. Lori Francis
Vice-President Administration
Isabelle Nault
Governors appointed by the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity
- S. Nuala Kenny
- S. Sheilagh Martin
- Rosemarie Sampson
- S. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick
Governors appointed by the Governor in Council
- Jean Flynn
Governors selected by and from the alumni
- Craig Ennis
- Penny Henneberry
- Heather Strickey
Governors selected by and from the faculty
Governors selected by and from the students
- Mika Paul
- Vanessa Sarkis
- Tanner Saunders
Governors selected by the board from the community at large
- Jennifer Best-White
- Michelle Clare
- Andrea Coish
- Derrick Dempster
- Ifeanyi Emesih
- Helen Hayward
- Karen Hudson
- Kimberly MacLachlan
- Melanie McGrath
- Tracey Newman
- Hon. Kelly Regan
- Vicki Robertson
- Nicola Watson