The Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) Advisory Board considers all proposals received for the Atlantic Innovation Fund. The board makes recommendations to the Minister of ACOA on specific project proposals submitted to the AIF based on a thorough analysis of the proposals and how well they meet the objectives and criteria of the Fund.

The AIF Advisory Board may be asked to provide policy advice to the ACOA Minister on issues related to the AIF.

The AIF Advisory Board members are:

Dr. May has an extensive background in fisheries and marine science, in science policy and in public policy. He began his career as a research scientist with the Fisheries Research Board of Canada in 1958, and held numerous, progressively responsible posts in both Ottawa and the Atlantic region, culminating in his appointment as Deputy Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 1982.

Dr. May was appointed President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in 1986. He became President and Vice-Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1990 and served in this position until his retirement in August 1999. He is currently Chairman of the Atlantic Innovation Fund Advisory Board and Chairman of One Ocean (a Newfoundland-based consortium of the oil and gas and fishing industries).

Dr. Skanes is a former Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and Professsor of Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Since retirement in 1999, Dr. Skanes has remained associated with Memorial as Adjunct Professor of Medicine and is also currently a consultant in areas related to health research. Dr. Skanes has chaired expert review panels for the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program and also chaired the NCE Selection Committee from 2002-2004. She was the ethics designate on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Circulatory and Respiratory Health from 2002-2005.

Dr. Skanes has served or is serving on various not-for-profit and private boards including the boards of Seabright Corporation, Clinical Trials Atlantic Corporation, Terra Nova Biotechnology Ltd., Memorial University Medical Research Foundation, the Canadian Blood Services (Chair since 2003) and the Canadian Stem Cell Network. Dr. Skanes has published many scientific publications and presentations as well as non-academic reports and papers.

Sam Synard is the Chairperson of the Green Fund Municipal Council, which is a $550 million national endowment fund entrusted to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) by the Government of Canada. As chairperson, Mr. Synard oversees investments in leading edge municipal environmental infrastructure. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Synard is also Mayor of the Town of Marystown, Newfoundland.

Over the past ten years, Mr. Synard occupied numerous positions in municipal organizations. In 1999-2000, he was the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and from 1995-1999, he was President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities. Mr. Synard has been a long-time community volunteer and recently served as the Chairperson of the 2004 Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Summer Games.

Louis Deveau is the Chair and Founder of Acadian Seaplants Ltd., a seaweed manufacturing, cultivating and processing company specializing in agri-chemical, animal feed, food ingredients and cultivated edible marine plant products. Acadian Seaplants Ltd. seaweed products are marketed and sold in over 70 countries around the world. His involvement in the economic development of marine resources in the Maritime provinces dates back to 1961.

He worked for the federal Department of Fisheries for six years in the development of the snow-crab and shrimp industries in the Maritime provinces. From 1967-1989, he held the position of President of Marine Colloids Canada Ltd.; President of Philippine Marine Inc.; President of Gel Mex; and Vice-President of Marine Colloids Inc. In 1980, Mr. Deveau acquired Marine Colloids Canada from its US parent and in 1981 Acadian Seaplants Ltd. was born. He has invested continuously in the development of product manufacturing technology, quality assurance and marketing.

Bonita Kirby is Manager of the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Over the last 15 years, Ms. Kirby has undertaken a number of initiatives to develop the program and promote it and the university in Atlantic Canada and abroad in countries such as Taiwan, Korea, and the New England region of the U.S. Ms. Kirby led Executive MBA Academic Partnering Trade Missions to Asia and South America from 1996 to 2005, which also included promoting Nova Scotia products in markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Brazil.

Ms. Kirby is Chair of Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation. She is an instructor in undergraduate and professional development courses and taught marketing and international business courses. Ms. Kirby is a recipient of an Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Province of Nova Scotia.

As Associate Dean of the School of Business at Cape Breton University, John MacKinnon has brought forward several new initiatives to renew the business program in order to better serve the student and university communities. Mr. MacKinnon participated in a formal review of the Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and was a key member of a University team that successfully negotiated and finalized several agreements with international institutions, resulting in large increases in international enrolments at the university.

Mr. MacKinnon is also highly involved in both professional and community organizations. He has just completed his term as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia and Chair of the Atlantic Chapter of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Mr. MacKinnon is also a board member of the Sydney Airport Authority.

Mr. Ed Lawlor is the founder and President of DeltaWare Systems Inc., an information technology company located in Charlottetown. The company provides services and solutions to industry, business and government organizations. Mr. Lawlor has worked in the information technology field for more than 35 years in a variety of roles, including software engineering, project management, senior management, and as an educator and entrepreneur.

He has worked in both the private and public sectors. Over his 19-year career in the public sector, he held a number of senior positions with the Government of Prince Edward Island (PEI). Mr. Lawlor is a founding member of the Information Technologies Association of PEI (ITAP) and its first President. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Information Technology Association of Canada.

Currently a private property developer and private consultant, Wayne Carew has held numerous positions in the Prince Edward Island health care system. Mr. Carew was the Executive Director of Prince County Hospital located in Summerside and also occupied the position of chief Negotiator for the Prince Edward Island Health Negotiating Agency. Mr. Carew was the Executive Director of the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

Mr. Carew owned car dealerships in both Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick and was Vice President of the PEI Automobile Dealers Association. He was a member of the National Task Force of the Canadian Auto Dealers Association on Banking in the Auto Industry.

Currently a private consultant, Sylvestre McLaughlin has, in the past, held the positions of Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Commerce and Technology for the Province of New Brunswick, Executive Director of the Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick, and has worked as a development officer with small- and medium-sized businesses throughout New Brunswick.

He acted as a consultant for the Maritime Fishermen's Union regarding the development and seeding of scallop beds on the east coast of New Brunswick, and as a consultant to Fisheries and Oceans Canada when the latter created the administrative management region known as the Gulf Region. He is a member of the Advisory Board for a NB-based company - Groupe Savoie.

A former Deputy Minister with the Government of New Brunswick, Mavis Hurley has had a long and varied career in health administration, social services and public service. As Deputy Minister, Ms. Hurley led the Premier's Health Quality Council, a province-wide Health Services Review, and Service New Brunswick, as well as the provincial Departments of Natural Resources and Energy and Income Assistance.

Before she became a Deputy Minister, Ms. Hurley was Administrator for NB's Extra Mural Hospital program and a 500 bed psychiatric hospital in Saint John, NB. She holds a Master's Degree in Health Administration from Ottawa University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree of the University of New Brunswick.

Since she retired in 2002, Ms. Hurley has been involved with the Kingsclear Rural Planning Advisory Committee, the UNB Homeless Health Clinic Advisory Board, the Association of Community Living, Saint John Ambulance and Southampton House. She is also the founding member of PROBUS - an organization for retired business people, sponsored and supported by Rotary International.