News release

Proposed Nova Scotia Health Authority Board Announced

Health and Wellness

A group of experienced professionals from across the province have been asked to lead the new Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine announced today, Feb. 26, the 12 people who are candidates to become board members for the new unified health authority.

The new volunteer board becomes operational on April 1. All candidates were screened through the approved provincial board appointment process.

They are:

  • Steve Parker, Halifax, chair and CEO of CCL Group Inc. and a former chair of the boards of Medavie, Medavie EMS, and the IWK Health Centre
  • David Stewart Pierre Dow, Church Point, Digby Co., Dow Law Inc., and a former vice-chair of the South West Nova District Health Authority
  • Wadih Fares, Halifax, president and CEO, WMFares Group and a QEII Foundation board of trustee member
  • Vicki Harnish, Hubbards, retired, former deputy minister of Finance and former vice-president of corporate services with South Shore Health
  • Wayne MacDonald, Granville Centre, Annapolis County, retired human resources professional, sits on board of directors of Trans County Transportation Society and Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens and is a former chair of the Annapolis West Health Foundation
  • Marie McCully Collier, Truro, retired registered nurse and past-president of the Public Health Association of Nova Scotia
  • John Rogers, Halifax, CEO of Stewart McKelvey and former chair of the IWK Health Centre
  • Jaime Smith, New Glasgow, planner and consultant with experience in community health planning
  • Anna-Marie Stuart, managing partner and co-owner at Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette in Halifax, a former finance director with the QEII Health Sciences Centre and former employee of the Nova Scotia Department of Health
  • George Unsworth, Sydney, financial chartered accountant and partner, Unsworth Kachafanas, and a former member of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation
  • J. Robert Winters, Truro, retired lawyer, and member of Dean's Medical School Advisory Board, Dalhousie University
  • John Young, Halifax, chair and partner, Boyne Clarke, and former chair of the QEII Foundation board of trustees.

"These people have a great deal of experience in business, health and the law. They have the skills and competencies to lead an enterprise of this size," said Mr. Glavine. "The Nova Scotia Health Authority will allow the health system to work together in a way that will achieve excellence in health, healing and learning by thinking provincially and acting locally.

"These volunteers will play a key role in improving the health of all Nova Scotians."

Mr. Parker has been asked to serve as chair of the board.

"Our job will be to create good governance in a complex environment. To do that we will focus on people and outcomes, moving to new and better ways to deliver health services," said Mr. Parker.

"I'm very happy to have my name put forward, and look forward to working with the board and strengthening the health system of Nova Scotia," said Ms. McCully Collier.

Board appointments will not become final until they are passed at the Standing Committee on Human Resources and receive Governor in Council approval.

Board member profiles are available at: http://novascotia.ca/dhw/PeopleCentredHealthCare/health-authority-board.asp