Board of Directors

Neil LeBlanc, Chair

Neil most recently owned and operated Southwest Nova Scotia and Pictou County based seafood company N. LeBlanc Enterprises Ltd.  Neil previously served as Nova Scotia’s Solicitor General, Minister of Finance, Minister of Acadian Affairs, and Minister of Supply and Services. He was also Chief Administrative Officer of the District of Argyle prior to being appointed as Consul General for the Canadian Consulate in Boston (2006-2010), where he represented Canada’s interests in one of our key seafood markets.  He is also the Past Chair of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation and the 2012 Jeux de l’Acadie organizing committee.  Neil is a graduate of St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce and has also been awarded an honorary doctorate in Political Science from the Université Sainte-Anne. Neil currently resides in Plymouth, Yarmouth County.

Robert Verge, Director and Vice Chair

Now retired, Bob was the Managing Director and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation for 10 years, initiating and managing research and development projects for aquaculture, fishing, and fish processing. Previously, he worked as a Management Consultant, providing services as a professional advisor and manager in Canada’s fish processing sector. In that role, he led a joint industry-government initiative that developed an award-winning quality management program focused on food safety, which became a nation-wide industry standard and has since become a global standard. From 2014 to 2020, he was a member of the national Seafood Value Chain Round Table. Bob has a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial) from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, and a Master of Business Administration (General Management) from York University. He has professional qualifications as a Professional Engineer, a Chartered Professional Accountant, a Certified Management Consultant, and a Labour Arbitrator. Bob is in his second term as Director and Vice-Chair.

Damien Barry , Director and Audit Chair

Damien is the general counsel and CAO of Louisbourg Seafoods Limited, a multi-species seafood business with several locations on Cape Breton Island and in Canso. Previously, he was an associate lawyer with Sampson McPhee Lawyers, and was an elementary school teacher in Hong Kong, the United States of America, England, and Ireland. Damien holds a Bachelor of Laws from the National University of Ireland, Galway and a Bachelor of Education (Honours) from the University of Limerick’s Mary Immaculate College of Education. He was called to the Bar in 2014 and is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society. Damien actively volunteers with local community and sporting organizations. Damien also serves on the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board and the Teachers Certification Appeals Committee. This is Damien’s first term appointed to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board.

Leah Lewis-McCrea, Director

Leah is the Research Manager for the Centre for Marine Applied Research. Leah has 20 years of experience working in Nova Scotia’s aquaculture industry, initially focused on aquaculture nutrition then transitioned to managing the Nova Scotia division and environmental monitoring laboratory for the largest environmental monitoring company servicing Atlantic Canada’s aquaculture industry.  Leah has held a position on the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia (AANS) since 2018 and is currently the Association’s Human Resource Chair. She is also certified as a designated Environmental Professional (EP) with Education and Training, Research and Development, Environmental Manager, and Sustainability specializations, through ECO Canada. Leah’s current focus is to provide scientific advice to support sustainability and improve management practices as it relates to aquaculture, fisheries, and coastal infrastructure in Nova Scotia.

Paula McQuinn, Director

Currently, Paula works with Intertek in their Fisheries program, as the Regional Technical Sector Manager as a Senior Auditor, where she is qualified to audit GMP and GFSI food Safety standards as well as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC/ASC) standard certifications. Paula has been involved in the seafood industry for over 30 years, and has extensive experience in both the regulatory and private sector of the seafood industry. She has worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as a Multi-Commodity Inspector and has also worked for several seafood companies in Southwest Nova Scotia as a production and sales manager. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration, a Seafood Technology certificate, and an Aquaculture Farm Site Management certificate. Paula previously served on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board from 2007–2013, including as Vice-Chair. Paula previously served on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board between 2007-2013, including as Vice-Chair between 2009-2013. Paula has been appointed to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board for a three-year term.

Howard Blinn, Director

Howard has extensive knowledge of all aspects of the East Coast fishery through his varied work experience. Howard spent 28 years working for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), starting as the captain of a small patrol vessel and also serving as a Fishery Officer.  Howard finished his career at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) as a Maritime Search and Rescue Co-Ordinator. Howard Blinn currently resides in Church Point, Digby County.

Dr. Stefanie Colombo, Director

Dr. Colombo is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture Nutrition at Dalhousie. She has published over 50 scientific papers and 2 book chapters. Dr. Colombo has served as the President of the Aquaculture Association of Canada and is currently the Science Advisor for the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia. She has received the Dalhousie President’s Research Excellence Award for an Emerging Investigator and the Faculty of Agriculture’s Early Career Research Excellence Award, as well as Innovator of the Year by the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia. Dr. Colombo holds a B.Sc. in Marine & Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph, an M.Sc. in Biology from Dalhousie University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Cynthia Brown, Director

Cynthia has a lifetime of industry experience having fished with her father, husband, sons, and daughters and in 2021 acquired an LFA 25 fishing enterprise. Cindy is currently a casual manager with NSCC in marine training. Previously, she was the Academic Chair and Lead Navigation Faculty at the NSCC Nautical Institute and taught Fishing Masters for many years at the School of Fisheries in Pictou. In addition to marine certifications, she holds a Diploma in Nautical Science from the Canadian Coast Guard College and a Bachelor of Maritime Studies and Master of Maritime Management from Memorial University. Cindy sits as secretary on the national board for the professional organization Master Mariners of Canada. She also sits on the board for Pictou County Partnership.

Dr. Miguel Lorenzi, Director

Dr. Miguel Lorenzi lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and serves as Manager of Nova Scotia Resource Operations at Acadian Seaplants. He oversees one of Canada’s largest seaweed‑harvesting portfolios, leading multi‑species procurement, managing complex supply chains, and collaborating with regulators and industry stakeholders to support sustainable marine‑resource management. Miguel holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours (Biology) from Unisinos in Brazil, a Masters of Science (Fishing and Fisheries Science and Management) from the Universidad de Murcia in Spain, and a PhD (Fisheries Science) form the Memorial University of Newfoundland.  He also holds a Certificate in Financial Accounting from the Harvard Business School. 

In addition to his education and work experience, Miguel brings governance experience as a board director, serving as a Director with the Nova Scotia Fish Harvesters Registration and Certification Board.