Team

Alex Paul

Executive Director

As Executive Director of the Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office (MEBO), Alex’s role is to engage with industry, governments, and Indigenous communities to build relationships that lead to change in policies and practices that will result in greater Indigenous participation in the Nova Scotia workforce and, increased access to contract opportunities and growth for Indigenous businesses. The MEBO approach to Indigenous Engagement has resulted in hundreds of jobs and significant contract opportunities across Nova Scotia.

Irene Carroll

Finance Manager/Business Support

Irene is responsible for managing significant budgets and fiscal planning, providing reports and claims for MEBO, its Board of Directors and funders. She is responsible to ensure that claims and payments are prepared in a timely fashion and to maintain accurate records. In business support, Irene is responsible to provide assistance to potential and existing entrepreneurs who want to start a business or expand an existing business. She works with clients to prepare business plans and proposals and provide aftercare. Irene also provides training and workshops in financial and business-related disciplines.

Tyler Gould

Programs Manager

Tyler is a Certified Career Development Practitioner with Nova Scotia Career Development Association with specialized Case Management training. He works with industry partners and contractors to ensure employment and business opportunities are made available to community members. He oversees many programs offered through Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office. He works with post-secondary students to connect them with summer experience and or employment. He oversees the Programs Coordinator and Apprenticeship Coordinator. Tyler also works with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency to help progress community members through their certification.

Pelonik Dennis

Programs Coordinator

As the Programs Coordinator, Pelonik works with industry partners and contractors to ensure employment and business opportunities are made available to community members. She works on highway projects within Nova Scotia, in seeking people who are interested in working with contractors and to ensure opportunities are provided to community members. Pelonik provides information on how to engage individuals and understand the benefits of having a diverse workforce. Pelonik is a member of NSCDA and is a Certified Career Development Practitioner.

Ryan Gould

Apprenticeship Coordinator

Ryan works closely with community stakeholders and the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency to advance Unama’ki apprentices to their Red Seal Certification and beyond. He reports directly to MEBO’s Programs Manager. Ryan works with all Unama’ki communities to create awareness of apprenticeship and apprenticeship related trades. He mentors trades related training initiatives including the Atlantic Trades Business Seal Certification and provides coaching as requested. Ryan also monitors work placements, and promotes and supports the Joint Registration Agreements to increase membership numbers in communities.

Wanda Jerrett-Compton

P-TECH Project Manager

Wanda is responsible for managing the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Program, which enables students to begin their college and professional lives more quickly and with more support than the typical school-to-work pathway. This program is a grade 9-13 model where students seamlessly complete a High School diploma and a NSCC IT program along with industry mentoring, paid internships and first-in-line job opportunities with partner companies, like IBM. Some continue on to further post-secondary education. These careers require students who have a strong foundation in sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.

Donald Boyd

Unama’ki P-TECH Education Navigator

Donald works closely with the P-TECH Project manager towards building the success of the P-TECH program. He is responsible for assisting our P-TECH students in navigating and, at times, delivering some of the courses that align with their goals in the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Program. In addition to this, Donald also works closely with Directors of Education, administrators and teachers within Unama’ki in supporting curriculum development, mapping of courses and support systems for students. He is also part of curriculum mapping teams with NSCC courses and their integration into the IBM P-TECH skills build program. As an educator with 20 years of experience within First Nation communities, and international education, Donald brings a strong understanding and passion for indigenous education initiatives, support and needs, as well as an understanding of the ever-changing world of skills development and employment needs.