About Us

A natural connector and storyteller, Margaret works with the P4G Placemakers to intentionally connect and share career opportunities with communities, and helps to amplify the P4G story. A former university drop-out, Margaret now holds a degree in Public Relations and eight years of experience across non-profits, social enterprise and provincial government. Guided by her will to create, and make equitable opportunities accessible to historically excluded groups in the region, Margaret brings a thoughtful, people-centric lens to P4G. Margaret serves on boards and committees for TEAM Work Cooperative, and the Macphee Centre for Creative Learning. Vulnerability and relatability are her key ingredients for uniting a shared experience, and bringing people together on a collective purpose. "I am incredibly honoured to work among this great group of people and to contribute to these incredible initiatives that are so close to my heart."

Cheryl is an executive with 40 years’ experience, holding senior corporate roles with the Mathers Group of Companies and Quest Society. Cheryl is currently the Chair of Beacon House Interfaith Society and the Chief Financial Officer at Quest Society. Cheryl is a Past Chair of Halifax Water, CPHR NS and CCHRA

Catherine has lived in Nova Scotia most of her life and is very proud to call this Province home. As a finance expert, mortgage broker, and small business owner, Catherine is well aware of the specific challenges of balancing work life and family life. She is passionate about community and helping others achieve their goals, with guidance, from her own experiences. Her beagle Marley forces her to take breaks daily and you can be sure to find them power walking through Point Pleasant Park where he is known as the "squirrel whisperer". He sings and they run!

COMING SOON...

Deborah is Nigerian born with Yoruba roots who grew up in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria, and Kenya. With a background in Kinesiology, Disability Management, Human Resources, and Operations, Deborah is passionate about projects and opportunities that make the world we live in more accessible to people of all abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and origins. She is currently the Operations Manager at Tribe Network and maintains a long-term passion for helping others and providing avenues for them to explore their fullest potential. In her personal time, Deborah can be found spending time with her friends and family, trying out new recipes, or exploring new borders.

Born in Nova Scotia and raised in an immigrant family, Aja has always been an advocate for diversity and inclusion. She has certainly found her outlet as Board Member with Team Work Cooperative. Aja's career spans work in both the public sector and the non-for-profit sector, in areas such as immigration, culture and heritage, youth retention, human resources, and equity. When not working, Aja is usually travelling, eating spicy foods, going to the beach, and hiding from the cold.

David is a change agent, consultant, academic and researcher with over four decades of experience in collaborating with and advising government bodies and organizations on social issues in the UK and Canada. David specialises in social work, community health, affordable housing, race relations, diversity and inclusion. Through speaking engagements, coaching, consulting and research he works with clients to resolve complex and sensitive issues.

Amanda is passionate about creating workplaces and communities where people feel safe and supported to show up as their truest selves. She is deeply committed to accessibility, mental health advocacy, and fostering environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Throughout her career, Amanda has worked across recruitment, human resources consulting, and workforce development to help organizations strengthen talent strategies, build high-performing teams, and embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into workplace practices. At Placemaking 4G, she is known for her holistic, values-based approach to her work, connecting individuals with meaningful opportunities while helping employers create cultures where people can thrive. Amanda is proud to serve on the Board of TEAM Work Cooperative, contributing her experience and perspective to advance equitable, inclusive, and accessible employment opportunities across Nova Scotia. Outside of her professional life, she is a lifelong learner who enjoys getting lost in a good book, trying new recipes and cuisines, and tackling the occasional jigsaw puzzle. In the summer, she can often be found paddleboarding on lakes throughout Nova Scotia.

Robert LaPierre has been part of the TEAM Work Cooperative community for decades, providing leadership, guidance, and steady support to the organization throughout its evolution. Most recently, Robert served as Chair of TEAM Work’s Board of Directors for seven years, helping guide the organization through a significant period of growth, change, and expanded impact. Robert also brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, community development, employment, and adult learning. Prior to his leadership with TEAM Work, he served as Executive Director of the Solutions Learning Centre in Dartmouth, formerly the Dartmouth Work Activity Society. His career has included involvement in community-based learning and workforce development, as well as broader conversations focused on employment and labour-market development. Throughout his time with TEAM Work, Robert’s leadership has been defined by kindness, integrity, humour, and a genuine belief in people. He has been a passionate champion of TEAM Work’s staff, clients, and mission and a strong advocate for creating more inclusive communities and employment opportunities. As Past Chair, Robert continues to bring his experience, perspective, and deep commitment to TEAM Work and the community we serve.

Monique Thomas, from Preston, NS, is a driven individual with a passion for entrepreneurship and a talent for bringing energy and clarity to her projects and community work. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from Dalhousie University in 2011, she now works as the Director, African Nova Scotian Community Engagement at the university. Monique is also an advocate for the advancement of women in business and operates a Digital Marketing and Consulting firm that works with businesses and non-profit organizations in Atlantic Canada.

Mary Ellen brings a kind of leadership that’s steady, intentional, and rooted in lived experience. With a background in entrepreneurship shaped by global perspective and deep community ties, she’s known for spotting potential in people, in ideas, and in the spaces between them. As CEO of Forward Creative, her work blends global thinking with local context, using design thinking and strategy to help communities, businesses, and impact organizations grow in ways that are sustainable and people-centered. Mary Ellen believes meaningful change happens when empathy meets design. She has spent her career making that belief a reality through systems, spaces, and strategies that move people forward.

Cassandra is currently enjoying the sweet spot of being "pre-retired"— she isn’t punching a clock, but she’s absolutely refusing to let her brain cells or social calendar slow down. For Cassandra, this chapter is all about keeping connections vibrant, neurons firing, and the next adventure locked in. Her career path was a masterclass in “development”. When the late 1980s failed to produce any job openings for gym teachers, she instead studied economics at Dalhousie University. That detour launched a dynamic, decades-long professional journey spanning shopping center management, entrepreneurship development, municipal economic development, and workforce development. It turns out that building community resilience and strategic alliances requires just as much energy as running a gym class anyway. Cassandra currently serves on the Board of Camp Kidston as Vice Chair. When she isn't brainstorming her next community project, Cassandra’s goal is simple: spend as many minutes as possible outside. Depending on the weather, you can find her gardening, hiking, cycling, open-water swimming, kayaking, or skiing. And if "hammock napping" ever becomes an Olympic sport, she’s taking home the gold. She has a love-hate relationship with modern technology. She is continually trying to quit social media, but the world is simply too interesting not to share—especially through her camera lens. As a self-confessed shutterbug, she just can't help herself (the 1,800 photos from her recent trip to Portugal stand as living proof). Above all, Cassandra is fueled by her people. She wears a lot of cherished hats—wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. But there is one specific title she has been unofficially training for over several decades, and it's the one she is most excited to step into: (soon-to-be) Grammie. If she ever summons up the courage to sit in a tattoo artist's chair, you can expect to see her sporting either a classic Canadian flag or a mermaid. Until then, she’ll be outside soaking up the fresh air, dodging notifications, and living life to the absolute fullest.