Our Board of Directors
The Halifax Association for Community Living is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors.
Devin - President
My name is Devin and I have been President of the board of directors at Halifax Association for Community Living since November 2022. I am an experienced and inclusive leader with experience managing teams in the corporate and small business sectors. Outside of work I am an avid community volunteer. I previously volunteered as a coach with Special Olympics Nova Scotia and am currently a civilian volunteer and biathlon coach with a local Army Cadet unit. From 2019-2022 served on the Public Awareness Committee of Empower Simcoe, an organization based in Barrie Ontario dedicated to supporting people in the community of all abilities. I also enjoy taking part in several community awareness fundraisers for local charities and food banks each year. In my personal life, I play a number of sports including squash, skiing, and softball, and can be found cheering on Red Bull Racing on F1 race weekends.
Brad - Vice President
My name is Brad. I am a lifelong resident off Halifax, and I am very proud to call it home. Usually you can find me in some sort of creative pursuit, in work or at play! Most of the time Elton Dog is close by. The consummate comedian, once you get to know me it’s a laugh a minute. For close to a decade, I was in the airline industry, and sat on the Board of Directors of WestJet for the last 3 years of it being a publicly held company. That wealth of knowledge is brought to the HACL Board. I am is an amateur musician… very amateur, but will take most opportunities to show what I don’t know on the guitar. Big on my list is fixing cars. If it has an engine, I want to know more about it, and chances are I also wants to make it go faster. Within the speed limit of course. I am beyond happy to be doing the HACL Board as Vice President, to help HACL grow and provide an even better impact on the community.
Ayoola - Treasurer
My name is Ayoola (He/him), and I am the Treasurer of the board of directors at HACL. I’ve been living in Halifax since 2019 and I have loved every bit of this city. I am an experienced accountant with years of experience in corporate governance and practices in both business sector and not for profits. I have also taught in universities and colleges. I love soccer when I am not working and very passionate about Liverpool Football Club.
Riley - Secretary
My name is Riley (she/they), and I am the secretary for the Halifax Association for Community Living Board of Directors. I moved to Halifax from Caledonia Ontario in 2020 and I have since fallen in love with this province that I now get to call home. I decided to get involved with HACL to make an impact in the community and to volunteer with an association supporting something I am passionate about. I am a huge sports fan, and you can often find me watching the Toronto Maple Leafs or out playing hockey or soccer myself. I also love animals and I have recently adopted a toothless 11-year-old cat named Dot.
Kirsten - Board member
My name is Kirsten (she/her), and I am one of the members at large for the Halifax Association for Community Living Board of Directors. I grew up in Newfoundland, but moved to Halifax in the Fall of 2017 and have been working in the province as a Counselling Therapist in various capacities. I decided to volunteer for the board as a way to continue to support a community that is near and dear to my heart, both personally and professionally. A fun fact about me is that one of my favorite things in the world to do is have dance parties with my daughter.
Chantale - Board Member
My name is Chantale (she/her), and I am a member at large on the board of directors for Halifax Association for Community Living. I was born and raised in Nova Scotia and have been involved with the association for 4 years as a participant in their programs and a board member. I wanted to join the board to advocate for people with disabilities and promote as much independence as possible for others. A fun fact about me is that I love to do diamond art in my spare time and I am currently working on a picture of Yoda to add to my collection.
Jordan - Board member
My name is Jordan (he/him), and I am a newly accepted member of the Halifax Association for Community Living Board of Directors. I grew up in Halifax and have worked in the Corrections and Community Service field for over 30 years. I am currently the Manager of Corporate Development for Metro Community Living, a for-profit service provider that supports individuals with mental and physical disabilities around the province. I decided to volunteer for the board as a way to continue to support a community in a not-for-profit environment, knowing that organizations such a HACL face many obstacles in their efforts to provide top level support for members of the community. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy restoring vintage audio equipment and collecting vinyl records.
Cindy - Board member
My name is Cindy (she/her). I am a member at large on the Halifax Association for Community Living Board of Directors. I am originally from Newfoundland and have called Nova Scotia home for over 20 years. I, recently, started looking for volunteer positions to make a difference and give back to this great community. I believe that joining with the HACL Board of Directors, I can make a positive impact for those living with developmental disabilities and their families. A little bit about me; I love animals, everything gardening and backyard farming!
Laura - Board member
My name is Laura (she/her). I’m a member at large for the Halifax Association for Community Living Board of Directors. I’m a behavioural scientist with a professional focus on business performance, and I co-founded a consulting firm to help leaders integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their core strategies and talent management practices. I started my career journey as a 1:1 worker supporting people with developmental challenges and I’m happy to come full circle back to serving this community through HACL board membership. I live in rural Queen’s County Nova Scotia with my wee dog Widget.
Shane - board member
My name is Shane de Rooy (he/him), I have recently been added to the HACL board as a member at large. I am originally from Manitoba but have been all over in the past decade and have recently moved back to Halifax for my current role as Executive Director of Ski Nova Scotia & CADS-NS, Snowboard Nova Scotia, and Freestyle Ski Nova Scotia. A big reason why I wanted to get involved with HACL was to give back to the community and be involved more with underrepresented communities, coming from a background in Para-Sport and Adaptive Recreation. A fun fact about myself is that I can Speak German and I often enjoy crocheting and knitting.
Jana - Board Member
My name is Jana (she/her) and I am a board member at large for the Halifax Association for Community Living. I am a social worker with a passion for social justice, self-advocacy and creating safe and inclusive spaces. What I do is based around relationships: relationships with the people I support, formal, friendly, and familial networks, and the community at large. I have spent the breadth of my career in the non-profit sector supporting people with disabilities in different roles such as employment program facilitator, direct support professional, educational assistant and presently as Resident Services Coordinator with Regional Residential Services Society. I was eager to get involved with HACL as I look forward to the opportunities of building community during a time with a lot of systemic change happening for people with disabilities in Nova Scotia. The saying that “it takes a village” rings so true, we can do so much when we do it together! A fun fact about me is that although I was born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, I spend any spare time with family in Seafoam, Pictou County on the North Shore - nothing beats time on the beach and the outdoors!