Board Member Biographies
Members of the Board of Governors
Ex officio
Most Rev. Robert Harris, BA, LTh, JCL - Chancellor
Most Rev. Robert Harris was nominated the Twelfth Bishop of Saint John in 2007. He is a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Chair of the Episcopal Commission for Canon Law/Inter-Rite.
Dawn Russell,
BA, LLB, LLM, President and Vice Chancellor
Professor Russell has been President and Vice-Chancellor since July 2011. She earned a bachelor of arts from St. Thomas University, a bachelor of laws from Dalhousie Law School and a masters in international law from Cambridge University. She was dean of the Dalhousie Law School for ten years and was the Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law. She has taught business law, securities regulations, corporate governance, and law of the sea, and has also consulted in the law of the sea and international law and provincial boundary issues, and has provided legal assistance to governments on maritime boundaries and ocean management issues. She was a founding member of the Centre for Law and Democracy, served on the Maritime Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee, and was an executive member of the Lawyers for Social Responsibility. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel and received the Francis Fish Award for Excellence and Leadership in the Legal Profession.
Barry Craig, BA, MA, PhD - Vice President (Academic)
Dr. Craig has been a professor with the Philosophy Department since 2007, also teaching in the Aquinas and Great Ideas Programmes. He holds a PhD from the University of Wales, an MA from Dalhousie University and a BA from the University of Kings College. Dr. Craig has been recognized numerous times for his scholarship, recieving a special merit award for research from St. Thomas University in 2008, twice recieving the excellence in teaching award from the Students’ Union and the excellence in teaching award from St. Thomas University in 2002. His book on Bishop John Medley, Apostle to the Wilderness, was published in 2005, and he has contributed numerous articles to the Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of Augustine.
Appointed
E. Ann Collins, BSC, DM (May 2013)
Dr. E. Ann Collins operates a family practice in Fredericton and is a part-time emergency room physician at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and medical director at the Pine Grove Nursing Home. Prior to that, she was a medical officer with the Canadian Armed Forces. She is a member of the New Brunswick Medical Society and has served on its board as an executive member and chair in addition to serving as president in 2002-2003. Collins earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Brunswick and a Doctor of Medicine from Dalhousie University. She is a lecturer in the Dalhousie University Department of Family Medicine.
David Farrar, BA, LLB (May 2013) - Secretary (Oct. 2012)
David Farrar is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. He is a St. Thomas University alumnus and a member of the Alumni Association. Mr. Farrar was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on October 2, 2009.
Chuck Firlotte, BA, MA (May 2015)
Chuck Firlotte is president and chief executive officer of Aquarion Company, one of the largest investor-owned water utilities in the United States. He is a St. Thomas University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Ottawa and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
Don Fitzgerald, BComm (Oct. 2012) - Vice-Chair (Oct. 2012)
Don Fitzgerald is the executive director of Team Fredericton where he is responsible for the city’s economic and community development. He had previous been chief operating officer of Brunet, a large independent internet service provider in New Brunswick, and assistant vice president of HSBC, New Brunswick.
Nathalie Godbout, BA, LLB (Oct. 2014)
Nathalie Godbout holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick. She is a partner at Lawson Creamer and has practiced extensively in the fields of civil litigation, administrative law, and labour law. She sits on the Ethics Committee of the Law Society of New Brunswick, the Board of Symphony New Brunswick, is a past Board member of Enterprise Saint John, and was the Chair of the Saint John Board of Trade. Godbout has lectured for the Canadian Defence Lawyers, the Canadian Bar Association, and has been an instructor for the Law Society Bar Admission program.
Peter Kavanagh, BA, LLB (May 2015)
Peter Kavanagh is a senior producer with CBC Radio and a graduate of St. Thomas University.
Stuart Kinney, BA, LLB (2013)
Stuart Kinney
has practised law in Woodstock, N.B. since 1990, including ten years as General Counsel for Barrett Corporation and affiliates in Canada and the US. He has been widely involved with his community through numerous boards and committees including Regional Health Authority III, Carleton Memorial Hospital Foundation, Law Society of New Brunswick and the Woodstock Rotary Club.
Noel A. Kinsella BA, LPh, PhD, STL, STD, LLD (Oct. 2012)
Noel A. Kinsella is currently Speaker of the Senate of Canada. He was appointed to the Senate in 1990, where he has served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Opposition and Speaker. Over the course of four decades, he was a faculty member, department chair and vice-president at St. Thomas University.
Claire Morris, BA, MSW (July 2014)
Claire Morris holds a bachelor of arts and a masters of social work from the University of Toronto, and has received honorary doctorates from the University of New Brunswick, Thompson Rivers University, and Cape Breton University. She served as president and chief executive officer of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada from 2004-2009. Prior to joining the AUCC, Morris was deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs in the Privy Council Office of Canada and was deputy minister of Human Resources Development Canada. Before joining the federal government in 1998, she served as secretary to the cabinet and clerk of the Executive Council in the Province of New Brunswick.
Moira Kelly Murphy, BA, LLB (Oct. 2014)
Moira Kelly Murphy is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of New Brunswick. She practiced law with Maclean Chase Murphy before starting her private practice where she specialized in family law. Murphy has served on the board of directors for the YWCA and Open Hands Food Bank. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick.
Andrea Seymour, BEd (May 2013) - Chair (Oct. 2012)
Andrea Seymour is the assistant deputy minister in the Department of Supply and Services where she is responsible for the development of a shared services strategy and implementation for New Brunswick. Prior to that, she was vice president of health information and chief information officer at River Valley Health Corporation.
Brian G. Sheehan, BA, BTh, STL, PhD, JCL (Oct. 2012)
Monsignor Brian G. Sheehan is a priest in the Diocese of Saint John. He is Judicial Vicar of the Diocese and Pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. He holds degrees in theology, Canon Law, and a doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of Louvain in Belgium.
Marie-Paule Thériault, BEd (July 2014)
A graduate of Université de Moncton, Marie-Paule Thériault was the principal of the New Brunswick Community College-Miramichi where she led record growth in enrolment. Prior to that, Thériault was employed by the Province of New Brunswick where she was director of the Arts Development Branch and responsible for the development of policies and strategies supporting arts.
Dianne Wilkins, BT, BA, MEd (Administration) (May 2013)
Dianne Wilkins is the superintendent of School District 18 and has worked at all levels of the education system. She is very active in the community, particularly with the Fredericton School Girl Choir and was recently awarded the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen Award for outstanding citizenship and service to the community. Wilkins holds a Bachelor of Arts (French and English) from St. Thomas University and a Masters in Education (Administration) from the University of New Brunswick.
Susanne Willett, BComm, MBA, CA (Oct. 2014)
Susanne Willett works as an independent consultant, specializing in financial and business management. She held senior financial positions with the New Brunswick Power Corporation including Finance Director for NB Power Transmission and Director of Financial Planning and Treasury for the holding company. Willett obtained her Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University and her Masters of Business Administration from York University and she is a Chartered Accountant. She helped establish the Women’s Homeless Shelter in Fredericton and was President and Board Member for the Fredericton Emergency Shelter.
Faculty Members
Bradley D. Cross, BA, MA, PhD (Sept. 2011)
Bradley Cross is an associate professor of History at St. Thomas University. His fields of expertise are Comparative Urban History, Material History, and History of the United States.
Cecilia Francis, BA, MA, PhD (Sept. 2012)
Cecilia Francis is an associate professor of French at St. Thomas University. Her fields of expertise are Francophone North African and North American literature, and
post-colonial criticism.
Shaun Narine, BA, MA, PhD (Sept. 2013)
Shaun Narine is an associate professor of Political Science. He specializes in International Relations, with a particular focus on regional institutions in the Asia Pacific region. Other areas of interest include Canadian Foreign Policy, the Middle East, and International Political Economy.
Student Members
Tracey House (May 2012)
A native of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, House is a fourth-year double major student, focusing on international relations and economics with a business option. She is actively involved with the St. Thomas community and is president of the Political Science Society, as well as a participant at the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference. She is employed on campus with IT services.
Hassen Mohamed (May 2012)
Hassen Mohamed is in his final year of a major in Philosophy. He is interested in international relations, and plans to attend either law school or graduate school next year.
Alumni Members
Joe Coughlan, BA, BEd (Aug. 2012)
Joe Coughlan is currently retired and working part-time in the travel industry. A graduate of St. Thomas, BA'72, he is a former probation officer and served as president of the New Brunswick Probation Association and national vice chair of the John Howard Society. He also served on the National Parole Board, the District 20 School Board, the Saint John Regional Hospital Board and the Saint John Common Council.
Daniel Leger, BA, MBA, LLB (2011)
Daniel P. L. Leger is an associate lawyer specializing in Administrative Law, Self-Regulating Professional Associations and Labour and Employment Law. He is registrar of the New Brunswick Dental Society and director of the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation. He received his Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University in 1999.
Observers
Lily Fraser, BSc, MA, CGA (Vice-President, Finance and Administration)
Lily Fraser has worked for almost two decades for the Government of New Brunswick in senior management positions in the Departments of Health and Community Services, Social Development, and Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. She most recently served on senior management in the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour where she was Assistant Deputy Minister for Adult Learning and Employment.
Mark Livingstone, (President, Students’ Union) (May 2012)
Mark Livingstone is a fourth-year economics student from Riverview,
NB. He has been involved in student politics and social organizations since first year. His past involvement includes positions on residence house committee and with the Economics Society. In February 2011, he was elected as President of the Students' Union.