Council Membership
Liz Chisholm, Chair - Highland Region
Liz Chisholm grew up in Antigonish. She graduated with a B.A. and B.Ed. from St. Francis Xavier University and holds a diploma in Special Education from Acadia University. She taught at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School in Antigonish for 20 years.
Ms. Chisholm is very involved in her community and in political life, having run as a candidate in two provincial elections and now sitting in her first term as councillor for the Town of Antigonish. She is a member of the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home board, a member of the Antigonish Integrated Sustainability Committee, and chair of the Antigonish Beautification and Tree Committee. She is the proud mother of 5 daughters and grandmother of 11 grandchildren.
Linda Carvery - Central Region
Linda Carvery, of Halifax, is an accomplished performer/singer and entrepreneur with interests in the community, economic and social development. Ms. Carvery has spent many years working in the community, particularly with persons with disabilities and families in crisis. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Saint Mary's University in 1998.
Jean d'Entremont - South Shore Region
Jean d’Entremont has always been interested and actively involved in women’s issues, especially in her community of Argyle. She has been a member of l’Association des Acadiennes since its founding in 1983, serving as president for the region of Argyle since 2000 and as chair of the region’s social committee. She is also a member of Les Femmes de Sainte-Anne, West Pubnico. Another passion for Jean is her Acadian heritage. She has served on Le Réveil de Pombcoup since 1978 and is a member of La Société historique acadienne de Pubnico-Ouest.
Maria deVries - South Shore Region
Maria de Vries has been actively involved in her community for 40 years, 15 of those as a municipal councillor. She has worked on behalf of women and girls through Girl Guides of Canada and through her church.
She chairs the board of LaHave Manor Corporation. In addition, she has chaired her school board, was president of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival and was active on the PTA of her children’s elementary school. She has also served on the Social Assistance Appeal Board in her area.
Shelley Goodwin - South Shore Region
Shelley Goodwin is a registered psychologist at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital, providing mental health services to children and adolescents. She has been a board member with the Tri-County Women's Centre, Jane Hirshman Fund, Planned Parenthood and Juniper House board of directors.
She currently holds Masters of Arts degrees in clinical and counselling psychology and is completing her PhD in clinical psychology.
She has a profound belief in the equality of all people and would like to play a role in ensuring that women of all ethnic backgrounds have equal access to services.
Anne Kelly - Central Region
Anne Kelly has owned and operated Gartec Industrial Supplies Inc., an ISO-certified company, for 18 years. She sits on the board of directors for Halifax Regional Development Agency and on the advisory committee for Entrepreneurs Forum, which helps entrepreneurs solve business-related problems.
A keen supporter of women in business, she has helped many women start businesses and further their entrepreneurial careers.
Patricia LeBlanc - Cape Breton Region
Patricia LeBlanc is a resident of Sydney, with extensive community involvement and advocacy work. As a woman with a disability, she has been active in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities. She served on the board of Community Involvement of the Disabled, holding various executive positions on the board over the years. She has also served on the board of the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities, and she initiated the start-up of the ACE Bowling league, the first bowling league for persons with cross-disabilities. Ms. LeBlanc represented post-secondary Nova Scotian students with disabilities on the board of directors of the National Education Association of Disabled Students from 1990-1994. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1993 from the University College of Cape Breton. Over the years, she has worked as a bookkeeper, researcher, office supervisor, and case aide.
Holly Meuse - Valley Region
Holly Meuse is a Foster Care Social Worker and volunteer in the RMCP Auxiliary Program in Annapolis County and a member of the Crime Stoppers. She is also a mother of two boys. She received a Bachelor of Social work degree from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mount Saint Vincent University. Her volunteer activities have ranged from children's sports, prenatal nutrition services, to Victim Services.
Doreen Paris - Highland Region
Doreen Paris of New Glasgow was employed with the Extension Department of St. Francis Xavier University. She is active in the Pictou County Women’s Centre, and past president of Tearmann Society for Battered Women. She was provincial president of the African United Baptist Association Women’s Institute, and received certification as a Black legal advocate. In August, 2002, Ms. Paris became moderator of the African United Baptist Association (AUBA), the third woman to hold this office in AUBA's 150-year history. Her contributions to her community have been recognized by the New Glasgow Volunteer of the Year Award and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award. She is past chair of the Advisory Council.
Rita Warner - Cape Breton Region
Rita Warner is a resident of Cape Breton with extensive career experience and community involvement. For the last 25 years she has held a variety of positions with such organizations as Inverness County Recreation and Tourism, Statistics Canada, MacDonald Hall in Inverness, and the Women Aware Women’s Centre in Port Hawkesbury. Ms. Warner is skilled in program design and administration; project/group facilitation; and promotions. She has been an active volunteer for a myriad of community organizations including Women Aware, the Women’s Reference Group to the Labour Force Development Board, Violence Against Women, Inverness County Literacy Board, the Purple Ribbon Campaign and the Nova Scotia Tourism Association.