Appointment to Board of Directors & Election of Chair and Vice Chair of Board
SAINT JOHN (NB) – Port Saint John is pleased to welcome Donna Gates as a new director effective December 12, 2016. Donna joins the Board of Directors by federal appointment for a three-year term.Additionally, the Board of Directors for Port Saint John (Saint John Port Authority) announces that at the December 12, 2016 meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board elected a new chair of the Board, Philip Brewer, and vice chair of the Board, Kathy Craig.The Chair and Vice Chair are elected by the Board for positions of 2 years in length.Port Saint John is Eastern Canada’s largest port by tonnage and has a diverse cargo base, including dry and liquid bulk, break bulk, containers, and cruise.
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Media contact: Paula Copeland, Manager of Corporate Communications, Port Saint John, (506) 650-5288, Email: pcopeland@109.199.110.97
Backgrounder – Biographies for Donna Gates, Phil Brewer and Kathy Craig
About Donna Gates (Director)Donna Gates is the Executive Director of Living SJ, which is leading the city's social renewal strategy. This network of government, non-profit, business and neighbourhood leaders is applying a collective impact model to end generational poverty in Saint John.Donna has also held senior roles in the non-profit sector as the Vice President of Philanthropy and Communications at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick and as the Vice President of the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation.She is a former Board member of the United Way of Saint John and Lily Lake Pavilion Inc. She is currently the Saint John representative to the Board of Junior Achievement of New Brunswick.About Philip Brewer (Chair of the Board of Directors)Since 2011, Philip has been a member of the Board of Directors at Port Saint John and has held the positions of chair of the human resources committee, chair of the audit committee and member of the executive committee. Additionally, Philip was vice chair of the Board from 2013 until his recent election as chair of the Board.Philip was the owner and President of Cox Electronics & Communications for more than 30 years and has a strong background in business leadership, financial management, and real estate development. As well as being involved with charitable initiatives and mentorship programs, Philip has also served on a number of corporate and community boards, is past president of the Executive Association, and currently sits as a director of MEGA-Brand Source.About Kathy Craig (Vice Chair of the Board of Directors)Since 2014, Kathy has been a member of the Board of Directors at Port Saint John and held the position of chair of the business development committee and member of the governance committee.Kathy has a wealth of experience on boards, and is former Executive Director of FacilicorpNB, receiving the designation of one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEO’s in 2003. At FacilicorpNB Kathy was responsible for the overall operation and financial well-being of the largest non-profit central laundry in Eastern Canada.Kathy began her studies in Nursing, later earning a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of New Brunswick, along with taking the Chartered Director Program from McMasters DeGroote School of Business.Her other board experience includes: City of Saint John Shared Risk Pension Plan, Saint John Industrial Parks Limited and Saint John Board of Trade. She was also a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development and was a member of the Government of New Brunswick Employers Negotiating Team for CUPE 1252.