CPRS-NS is governed and run by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Board involvement is a rewarding way to help advance the public relations and communications profession in our area. The board meets once monthly except June-August to plan and oversee membership, scholarships and awards, accreditation, professional development and social events, chapter finances, budget and operations, web and social media content, liaison with post-secondary PR programs, faculties and students, other member benefits, and more!
If you would like to give back to the public relations profession by volunteering to become more involved with CPRS-NS, contact us a cprsnovascotia@gmail.com.
CPRS-NS Board of Directors 2024-2025
Sarah is passionate about communicating with purpose to create possibilities. After more than two decades of successfully leading corporate communications & social responsibility strategies & teams across North America, she is now an independent strategist (Prospect Strategies Ltd.) who helps leaders inspire through authenticity, tackle tough business challenges with purposeful communications, and create their legacy through transformational leadership. She is known for her grace under pressure, her ability to crystalize ideas into action, and her passion for building positive work environments & high performing teams. Sarah’s certifications include: change management practitioner, Lumina Learning® practitioner, and Strategic Communications Management Professional®. She is one of PR News’s Top Women: Industry Champion 2024 and Ragan Communications & PR Daily’s Top Women in PR: Crisis Navigator 2021. When she’s not mentoring and advancing our profession, you’ll find her nose in a novel, her fingers flying over the piano keys, or her soles sauntering with her dog, Beau, in Nova Scotia’s Prospect Communities.
Alison is an accredited senior communications and engagement strategist who has spent her career working with and on behalf of complex, customer-centric organizations across Atlantic Canada. She has worked at PR and marketing agencies, for profits and non-profits in utilities, financial services, and economic development. Alison has led teams, mentored those new in their careers and coached those looking to grow their skills. She has grown her professional practice areas to include public relations, stakeholder engagement, marketing and change management. Alison believes the best work always starts with strategy and if you aren’t learning new things and having fun where you are, you should find somewhere else to be.
Alison’s personal mantra: Care deeply, think strategically, act quickly.
JoAnn is an experienced communicator who has held roles in the public and non-profit sectors. She is currently communications advisor with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. JoAnn has been an active member of CPRS since 2016 and served in various roles with the Nova Scotia society, including being on the Executive and a Committee Chair (Communications and Membership). A former journalist, she has media industry experience in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
With over eleven years of experience both agency and client side, Ceilidh has led award-winning teams to success for some of Canada’s most loved brands including Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and Metro Inc. She has spent the last four years working with Agnostic, a full-service public relations and marketing agency focused on the agency’s consumer accounts with a heavy emphasis on retail. While Agnostic’s head office is located in Toronto, Ceilidh is fiercely proud of being the sole practitioner in Atlantic Canada, steadily growing business.
Ceilidh is thrilled to be serving as the Membership Chair for the CPRS Nova Scotia Board of Directors and encourages you to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or for a catch up over a cup of coffee.
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Katie Feltmate is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, speaker, and avid traveler. Katie is the founder of two companies, Perspective PR, an agency specializing in brand audits, content and storytelling and Self-Publishing Academy, which offers online courses and coaching for aspiring self-published authors. As a creative writer first and foremost, Katie wrote and self-published her debut book of poetry, Love in the Age of Quarantine during the pandemic which won silver in The Coast’s Best Book Halifax 2022 awards and earned her the Young Alumni of the Year Award from her alma mater, Mount Saint Vincent University.
Dawn is a strategic communications professional, storyteller, and coach skilled in media relations, crisis communication, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement. Most of her career has been spent managing sensitive issues and acting as a trusted advisor, guiding leaders on how to simplify complex subject matter to effectively engage with a variety of audiences.
Before joining Iris Communications as Vice President, Dawn spent over a decade working in Alberta’s energy sector where she mentored staff and provided advice and counsel to a variety of CEOs and executive teams at the Alberta Electric System Operator, Husky Energy, Cenovus, and TransAlta.
Dawn is a graduate of Mount Saint Vincent University where she obtained her degree in Public Relations and Certificate in Marketing.
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Tiffany is responsible for managing strategic communications and marketing initiatives on behalf of Halifax Stanfield, the largest international airport in the Atlantic Region and a critical piece of Nova Scotia’s transportation infrastructure. As Director, Public Affairs & Marketing for Halifax International Airport Authority, Tiffany manages the airport’s reputation through proactive communications, community, stakeholder, and government relations activities, and strategic response to emerging issues.
Tiffany has over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, issues management and community engagement. She has a Bachelor of Public Relations degree and Certificate in Marketing from Mount Saint Vincent University and held previous communications roles at Nova Scotia Power and Halifax Regional Municipality..
If you’re in search of a fresh mind whose passion lies in the mix of creative and strategic communication planning, Tien is exactly whom you need by your side.
A graduate from the nationally-recognized MSVU Bachelor of Public Relations program, Tien has accumulated diverse experience in the field of public relations through co-op opportunities with public, semi-public and private sectors. He’s worked with Halifax Partnership, Communications Nova Scotia, and is presently with Enterprise—one of the premier strategic communication and public affairs agencies in Canada.
Tien held the position of Vice President of Communications at MSVU Students’ Union, advocating for the diverse voices of over 4,000 students from more than 75 countries worldwide.
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