President, Laura Jacobs - Manager of Recreation Services for the Town of Kentville
Laura’s career has spanned clinical, corporate, and municipal sectors, all rooted in her commitment to helping people live healthier, more connected lives. She has worked as a kinesiologist in primary care settings, served in case management roles, and managed an integrated health centre in Miramichi, NB. After returning to Nova Scotia with her family, Laura transitioned into municipal recreation—first as Recreation Director for the Village of Port Williams, then as MPAL Coordinator for the Village of New Minas, and eventually joining the Town of Kentville, where she now leads recreation services.
She has been the elected President of Valley Recreation for four years and previously served three years as a Director on the Board of Recreation Nova Scotia before stepping into her current role as President-Elect.
As a mother of three teenagers and partner to a busy farmer, Laura brings a deep understanding of balance, community, and commitment to everything she does. These roles—and the many hats she wears—shape her leadership in every setting. She is passionate about strengthening communities, building sector capacity, and supporting the recreation profession across Nova Scotia.
Past-President, Brendon Smithson - Director of Regional Recreation Services for Halifax Regional Municipality
Brendon was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the 2023 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Host Society in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), where the team delivered a safe and supportive environment to over 5,000 Indigenous youth from across Turtle Island. He is also a Board Member of the Aboriginal Sport Circle. He was also formerly with the province of Nova Scotia as a Sport and Recreation Consultant supporting the growth of sport, recreation and physical activity within the Mi'kmaw communities. Before his time with the province, Brendon worked in Municipal Recreation for ten years as a Director, focusing on creating inclusive environments for all participants. In Brendon's free time, you can find him in and around the lacrosse community in Nova Scotia, where he is a player, coach, board member and official. When not on the lacrosse floor, he enjoys all that Nova Scotia has to offer, especially its great outdoors and is a passionate football fan.
Vice President of Finance, John Mitchell, CPA - Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions, EY-Parthenon
John Mitchell is an Associate in EY-Parthenon's Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance practice in Halifax, where he specializes in all facets of corporate finance, including advising corporate and private equity clients on a range of acquisition, divestiture, carve-out, capital raise, financing, and advisory mandates. Prior to this role, John worked in the Assurance practice at EY, where he engaged with a variety of clients, including publicly listed companies, private enterprises, and public sector organizations. John is a CPA and is currently pursuing a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation. He holds a Degree in Commerce with a major in Accounting and Finance from Dalhousie University.
Vice President of Monitoring, Clare Steele - Active Communities Coordinator for Pictou County
Clare Steele (she/her) is passionate about community and making our beautiful corner of the world a healthier place to live and play. In her spare time, she can be found teaching yoga, paddling, or on a hiking trail with a couple of her four-legged sidekicks.
Director at Large (2yr.), Dawn Stegen
Bio coming soon.
Director at Large (2yr.), Wil Van Hal - Recreation Manager for Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Wil has been the Recreation Manager for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality since April 2024. Prior to joining CBRM, Wil worked for the Tim Horton Children's Foundation at camps and the home office. Wil also spent 15 years working in Long Term Care in Therapeutic Recreation in Cape Breton. Wil has coached basketball and soccer for many years and also spent the past 5 years as President of Soccer Cape Breton. He currently volunteers with Special Olympics as a coach with the Active Start and FUNdamentals program in Sydney. Wil and the CBRM Recreation Department are on a mission to build relationships across the municipality and to promote arts, culture and recreation for a more engaged, active and healthy community.
Director at Large (2yr.), Jessica Allen - Active Living Coordinator, Town of Amherst
Bio coming soon.
Director at Large (1yr.), Andrew Farrell - MPAL, Bear River First Nation
Bio coming soon.
Director at Large (1yr.), Elliot Hernandez
Bio coming soon.
Student Representative, Jenna Gallant
Bio coming soon.