Board of Directors

University Representative Members

  • Dr. David MaGee

    University of New Brunswick

    A native New Brunswicker, David first came to University of New Brunswick in 1978 to do a BSc in chemistry. He went on to receive a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from UNB in 1987 under the direction of Professor Zdenek Valenta. He then undertook a two-year NSERC post-doctoral fellowship with Professor Robert K. Boeckman, Jr. at the University of Rochester. In 1990, David began as an Assistant professor at UNB; in 1995 he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 2000 was promoted to full professor. From 1999 to 2007 David served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry, except for a brief 6-month period from July 1 to December 31, 2005, where he served as Acting Dean of Science. From July 2008 to June 2017 David served as UNB’s Dean of Science, until he stepped into the role of Acting Vice-President Research in July 2017 for a 1-year term.

    David’s area of research is mainly in the development of new and/or simpler ways to make biologically interesting and structurally challenging natural products. In recent years David has had several research collaborations with academic (Dalhousie, Acadia, Shahid Beheshti University Tehran) government (Canadian Forestry Services, Newfoundland Department of Natural Resources) and private (JDI-Ltd, Sylvar, Agrifor, Forest Protection Limited) organizations. David has published 44 peer-reviewed research papers in numerous prestigious national and international journals and has 5 patent applications. David has presented over 66 papers at various national and international conferences and been an invited speaker on 17 other occasions. He has also served as an external examiner for numerous PhD theses.

    In conclusion, David has refereed over 170 papers for 34 different journals and 38 grant proposals for national and international granting organizations.

    Since joining the faculty at UNB, David has established an excellent scholarship and teaching record. He has supervised 27 graduate students: 10 completed PhDs, 15 completed MScs, and 1 MSc and 1 PhD still in progress. In addition, he supervised 67 Honours BSc students. Undergraduate and Graduate students from his group have gone on to MSc and PhD degrees, MD studies, post-doctoral fellowships, university professorships, research scientist positions, and pharmaceutical sales.

    While at UNB David has served on several University Committees. Of recent note is his involvement on the Academic Planning Committee (both stages), the Administrative Bargaining Committee for the most recent collective bargaining, the Strategic Research Planning Committee, and the UNB Standing Review Committee responsible for reviewing all CRC, CFI and AIF applications from the institution.

  • Dr. Francis Leblanc

    Université de Moncton

    Francis LeBlanc is Associate Vice-President for Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the Université de Moncton since 2017.  Previously, he was Director of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the same university.

    Mr. LeBlanc holds a doctorate in physics from the Université de Montréal and is an active researcher in astrophysics.  His research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) since 1998. He has been an Associate Professor or Visiting Research Associate at four renowned academic institutions (Université Laval, Université de Paris VII, Université de Toulouse and Observatoire de Paris-Meudon).  In 2010, he published a book at the prestigious Wiley publishing house entitled ‘An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics’. This book has been used as a textbook in more than 100 universities including Harvard, Caltech, Berkeley, Stanford, and Cambridge.

    He is a member of several boards of directors: Research New Brunswick, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, Springboard Atlantic, and represents the Univeristé de Moncton at several national funding councils and organizations.

  • Dr. Greg Naterer

    University of Prince Edward Island

    Dr. Greg Naterer is the Vice-President, Academic and Research, and a Professor of Sustainable Design Engineering, at the University of Prince Edward Island. Prior to his appointment at UPEI, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland (2012 – 2022), where he led substantial growth in faculty, enrolments, and research capacity.

    Dr. Naterer has served in prominent leadership roles in education and research, nationally and internationally. He was the Chair of Canada’s National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science (NCDEAS). He chaired the NSERC Discovery Grant Committee (Mechanical Engineering) and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the AIAA Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer.

    For his leadership contributions at an international level, Dr. Naterer was awarded the K.Y. Lo Medal of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). He received the Jules Stachiewicz Medal of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering for his contributions to heat transfer and fluid mechanics. He was awarded the EIC Julian C. Smith Medal for exceptional achievements in the development of Canada. Dr. Naterer also received a Best Professor Teaching Award from the Engineering Student Society.

    Dr. Naterer’s research interests lie in the fields of energy systems, thermodynamics, and heat transfer.  Previously he was a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Advanced Energy Systems. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and received his BMath (Applied Mathematics), MASc (Mechanical Engineering) and PhD (Mechanical Engineering) degrees from the University of Waterloo.

  • Dr. Tana Allen

    Memorial University

    Dr. Tana Allen is Acting Vice-President (Research) at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She works closely with senior and academic leaders, as well as key administrative staff, to achieve the strategic objectives of the research portfolio and enhance Memorial’s international reputation for cutting-edge research.

    A professor with the Department of Classics at Memorial University, Dr. Allen is trained as a classical archaeologist and social historian. Providing expertise in emerging areas of classical reception studies and non-traditional disciplinary approaches, she is regularly sought out as a supervisor by Canadian and international students.

    Dr. Allen served as associate editor and treasurer-secretary for the journal Mouseion and as a council member of the Classical Association of Canada. Dr. Allen has organized numerous local, national and international events, adjudicated major academic prizes, provided submission reviews for top disciplinary journals and acted as tenure referee for multiple universities.

    Dr. Allen is currently the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Leader for Memorial. She serves as chair of Acenet, and as a member of numerous boards and executive councils, including C-CORE, the Health Research Ethics Authority, the Ocean Frontier Institute, and the Bruneau Centre for Excellence in Choral Music.  Dr. Allen is also president of SailNL.

    Dr. Allen holds a BA from Amherst College, an MA from the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD from the University of Alberta.

  • Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett

    Cape Breton University

    Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett is the Associate Vice President, Academic & Research at Cape Breton University. In her role since 2018, Dr. Brann-Barrett oversees the Office of Research & Graduate Studies. She provides leadership to the Human Rights and Diversity Office and the Research Centre of Excellence for Health Aging.  Among other responsibilities, Dr. Brann-Barrett led the development and now implementation of CBU’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Workplace Plan.

    With Dr. David Anderson of Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine, Tanya is co-chair of the steering committee overseeing the implementation of the Cape Breton Medical Campus.

    When a member of faculty, Tanya taught courses including Health Communication and Family Communication. Her research focused on social exclusion and rural education and issues of community engagement and citizenship as they relate to youth, gender, and class.

    Dr. Brann-Barrett holds a Bachelor of Arts (Community Studies) degree from CBU, a Graduate Diploma in Communication Studies from Concordia University, a Master of Arts in Education from Mount Saint Vincent University and a PhD. in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia.

  • Stephen Hartlen

    Dalhousie University (Vice-Chair)

    Stephen Hartlen is the Assistant Vice-President, Industry Relations and leads the Office of Commercialization and Industry Engagement (OCIE), at Dalhousie University. Dalhousie’s OCIE team commercializes research at the university, engages industry and facilitates collaborations between companies and university researchers, promotes entrepreneurship, and assists in the creation of spin-off ventures.

    Prior to joining Dal in his current role 2011 he spent the previous eight years at Innovacorp, (now Invest Nova Scotia), Nova Scotia’s crown corporation for early-stage venture capital, serving as vice president of mentoring and in his final year as interim president and CEO.

    Earlier in his career, Stephen spent 15 years in the private sector with experience in business development, sales, and go-to-market strategy development in both the corporate financial services and the information technology sectors.

    Stephen is the Vice Board Chair for Springboard Atlantic and Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee. He is presently Chair of the Board of NetZero Atlantic and Board Member of Life Sciences Nova Scotia. He is the past chair of the Advisory Committee for the Conference Board of Canada’s Council for Innovation and Commercialization.

    Stephen was the productivity lead at the 4Front Atlantic Conference series. He has presented at the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference. He currently sits on several Dalhousie steering committees overseeing the University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship strategy.

    Stephen is a graduate of Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Saint Mary’s University with a Master of Business Administration in Finance.

College Representative Member

Cyrille Simard

Vice-président au développement au sein du Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)

Cyrille Simard possède un vaste expérience et connaissance de l’éducation et de la formation ainsi que du domaine des technologies de l’information pour l’apprentissage à la fois en tant que formateur, gestionnaire de projets et expert-conseil.

Vice-président au développement au sein du Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) depuis 2020, il a auparavant été chef de sa propre entreprise d’expertise-conseil durant une vingtaine d’années après avoir été Fonctionnaire international pour le compte de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Directeur de l’Éducation permanente et de l’enseignement à distance et Directeur du Centre de Multimédia appliqué à l’Université de Moncton – campus d’Edmundston.

M. Simard a effectué plusieurs communications et animé de nombreux ateliers de formation au Canada, en Europe, en Afrique et dans les Caraïbes, sur des sujets comme l’enseignement à distance, l’utilisation des technologies de l’information en éducation, la formation professionnelle et technique et les tendances nouvelles dans le domaine des technologies et de l’apprentissage.

Cyrille Simard (English)

Vice-President of Development at the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)

Cyrille Simard has extensive experience and knowledge of education and training, as well as of information technology for learning, as a Trainer, Project Manager and Consultant.

Vice-President of Development at the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) since 2020, he previously ran his own consulting firm for some twenty years, after serving as an International Project Manager for the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Director of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, and Director of the Centre de Multimedia appliqué at the Université de Moncton – Edmundson campus.

Mr. Simard has given many presentations and led numerous training workshops in Canada, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean on subjects such as distance education, the use of information technology in education, vocational and technical training, and new trends in technology and learning.

Private Sector Members

  • Dr. Bethany Deshpande

    SomaDetect

    Bethany Deshpande is the Founder & CEO of SomaDetect, a dairy technology startup that combines science, technology, and creativity to make a difference in the dairy industry. Her work in SomaDetect has honed a range of experiences in areas including IoT hardware development, software and cloud engineering, AI, Intellectual Property, and leadership. Bethany’s journey with SomaDetect has been exciting and rewarding, with the startup securing $20M in funds from various VC sources and government programs. This includes Sustainable Development Technology Canada and Agriculture & AgriFood Canada. These resources have helped support the dedicated and talented team at SomaDetect in their mission to revolutionize the dairy sector. Under Bethany’s leadership, SomaDetect has been acknowledged by various organizations such as the Ag Innovation Showcase, Canadian Innovation Exchange, and Buffalo’s 43North Competition, among others. Most recently, it was honored with the Digital Agriculture Summit’s Top Pitch award.

    Beyond her work with SomaDetect, Bethany takes time to contribute to the entrepreneurial community. She is a board member for CAAIN (Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network), previously served on the Board of Science East, and is involved via various advisory and mentorship roles. Bethany is passionate about education, creativity, and innovation.

    Bethany completed a Ph.D. in Biology at Université Laval, where she studied oxygen dynamics and microbial activity in northern ecosystems. This research allowed her to gain experience in sensor technology applications and science. She also holds a bilingual Bachelor of Arts degree from Glendon College, York University, with a double major in math and environmental studies, and a Bachelor of Education from York University.

    When she’s not working, Bethany finds joy in singing, hiking, and climbing. She also dedicates her time to volunteering in her community, including with Big Brothers, Big Sisters Canada.

  • Jake Arsenault

    Jake is a serial high-tech entrepreneur. His related areas of interest include design, team building and new technology creation. He supports start-ups by mentoring early stage ventures and spends time as Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). Jake feels that innovation and creativity are key to new venture creation.

    Jake co-founded The Black Arcs in 2014 to address unmet needs in land-use planning. He brings people and ideas together acting as a liaison between problems, academia, and new technology. He has guided a series of collaborative research projects to develop the company’s foundation, working with domain experts in land-use, big data, economics, artificial intelligence, and design.

    Jake has spearheaded the following projects: GNB Incubation of Smart Engagement with the Province of New Brunswick, Playful Planning: Citizens making sense of transit systems and impacts with UNB’s Department of Geomatics, Predictive Analytics and Data Visualization for Collaborative Multi-Stakeholder Planning of Transportation with the National Research Council and Public Transportation: Citizen Engagement & Simulator: Sackville the Game with New Brunswick’s Southeast Regional Service Commission.

  • Jeff White

    New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

    Jeff White is the President and CEO of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, an independent corporation with the mandate of developing innovation and entrepreneurship in New Brunswick, where he manages NBIF’s operations, leads its investment activities and actively manages its growing portfolio of venture capital and research investments. Jeff is a technology industry veteran and corporate financing expert and the new face of NBIF.

    Jeff has mentored many of New Brunswick’s recent start-ups and scale-ups. Prior to joining NBIF, Jeff worked as CFO at companies like Radian6, Genesys Laboratories Canada and Q1 Labs, and most recently co-founder and COO at East Valley Ventures, the successful New Brunswick-based start-up accelerator and early-stage investor. He also served as interim CFO for Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, one of five clusters across Canada. The Ocean Superclusters is a major industry-led initiative, supported by the Government of Canada, focused on building on Canada’s ocean-related research capacity, business activity and technology expertise.

    Jeff is a St. Francis Xavier University graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).  In his time away from work, he loves to coach youth basketball.

  • Ken Martin

    Independent Representative

    Ken Martin retired in 2019 after 28 years of distinguished public service. In 1991, Ken joined the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Government of Canada’s regional development agency servicing Atlantic Canada, and has held progressively more responsible officer, program management and executive positions.  After six years as an Account Manager, which included a secondment with a Labrador-based indigenous organization managing the Voisey’s Bay exploration camp, Ken was appointed to the position of Manager, Commercial Programs. In 1999, he became Director, Enterprise Development, overseeing the delivery of ACOA’s core business programming in the region. In 2011, he assumed the position of Director General, Regional Operations, where he provided overall management of ACOA operations and programming in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2015, Ken was named Vice-President for the Newfoundland and Labrador region, a position from which he retired in 2019.

    Along with Springboard Atlantic, Ken currently serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the College of the North Atlantic, NL’s public college, and the Board of Trustees of the Newfoundland and Labrador Future Fund.

    Ken received a Bachelor of Commerce from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1984 and a Master of Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Calgary in 1989. Prior to joining ACOA, he worked as a senior commercial lender with the Bank of Montreal in St. John’s and as a financial analyst with ExxonMobil in Calgary, Alberta.

    Ken, his wife Jackie and family live in St. John’s, NL.

  • Michael Maguire

    Copsys Technologies (Chair)

    Michael Maguire is the President and CEO of Copsys Technologies Inc., an Atlantic Canadian technology start-up advancing a disruptive paint-based digital “feeling” skin to market. Mike is a professional engineer with leadership experience in management of innovation, technology advancement, risk and safety, asset integrity and regulatory affairs, developed over a career spanning more than 3 decades in ocean technology, offshore energy, marine transportation. He serves on Lloyd’s Register’s Offshore Technical Committee and is Past Chair of OceansAdvance – Newfoundland and Labrador’s Ocean Technology Cluster, and of the NSERC CREATE Industry Advisory Committee for Offshore Technology Research at Memorial University.

Ex-Officio

  • Daryl Genge

    President & CEO

    Daryl manages and monitors the operations and overall sustainability of Springboard Atlantic. Sitting in our Central Office, he builds partnerships on behalf of the network that strengthen Atlantic Canada’s innovation ecosystem and cultivates new opportunities for our post-secondary research community.

    In conjunction with Springboard’s Board of Directors, members, Central Office staff, and government partners, Daryl leads the development and execution of Springboard’s organizational strategy.

    Prior to his role at springboard, Daryl held Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister (acting) positions with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development where he championed public-private investment strategies to drive the development and growth of innovative industries, and played a leadership role in international trade and foreign direct investment attraction.