| Board of Directors |
President: Jennifer Harding - jen@srpei.org
Jen is a long-serving executive at one of Canada’s big 5 banks, where she specializes in leading large change initiatives - everything from big technology projects to organizational change and transformation. She spent time as a management consultant in change management and process improvement. She started her career in sponsorship sales and promotions and theatrical stage management. She has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, years of leadership and diversity and inclusion training, and executive education courses in strategy and finance. Jen is Mom to a teen boy and her Islander partner is in construction management. They split their time between Toronto and their remote property on PEI. Growing up with a parent in social services, she has a lifetime of service to communities and supporting at-risk populations. During the pandemic, she got back to sewing and now makes bespoke tote bags and purses from thrifted fabrics.
Vice-President: Jerry LeBlanc - jerry.leblanc@srpei.org
Jerry has been a seasonal resident since 2019 and has been visiting the island since 2008. He and his wife were married on PEI and her family have been seasonal residents for almost 30 years. He worked in the automotive industry for over 16 years followed by over 12 years in the real estate business. He currently lives in Michigan just 40 minutes from the US Canadian border and is self-employed as the owner and manager of several rental properties. Jerry is currently the president of his homeowner’s association which consists of over 180 homes. He volunteers working with the homeless and various local nonprofit organizations. He is looking forward to advocating on behalf of all seasonal residents of PEI to ensure we have access to our homes and properties.
Secretary: Marie Brien - marie.brien@srpei.org
Marie is from Ottawa and enjoys spending ‘extended PEI summers’ from May to October at her Lower Malpeque cottage which she and her husband have owned since 2012. Marie has been a pediatric physiotherapist for over 40 years, working at the Ottawa. Children’s Treatment Center (CHEO) for 30 years with children with disabilities. There, she served as local union president (OPSEU) for 15 years, advocating on behalf of all members. She was also President of the Ottawa Chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada for 5 years providing support to families. Since 2017, she has been working as a casual physiotherapist at Prince County Hospital in the summertime. Since 2019, she is Associate Director of Research and Capacity Building with an NGO providing rehabilitation to children with disabilities in rural South India, working remotely and on-site in India. Francophone and fully bilingual, Marie and her husband, Raynald, were in frequent contact with /interviewed by PEI’s French media as advocates for seasonal residents during the pandemic. She is looking forward to being a proponent of rights of all seasonal residents in our beloved PEI.
Treasurer: Kandy Simpson-Zeidenberg - kandy.simpson@srpei.org
Kandy was born and raised on Prince Edward Island and has been a Seasonal Resident for the past 25 years. Kandy and her husband, Mike, built their cottage in Toronto, PEI, on land that has been in Kandy’s family since the early 1800’s. Kandy is a CPA (CGA) with a BBA from UPEI. She worked for Canada Revenue Agency in Toronto, Ontario for 32 years. Over those years, she held a variety of increasingly senior positions including Auditor, Special Investigator, Audit Team Leader, Client Services Manager, and Audit Manager. She also performed various additional functions including delivering training, participating on hiring boards, serving on both local and national Employment Equity Committees for women, and serving as Employment Equity Coordinator for the Toronto North office. Kandy and Mike moved to Bedford, Nova Scotia in 2013 when Kandy retired. Prior to the pandemic, they divided their time among Bedford NS, Toronto PEI, and Indian Shores Florida, with frequent trips to Toronto Ontario to see their two children and four grandchildren. Both passionate about travel, they hope to resume working on their Bucket List in the near future.
Director: Tom Brodnik - tom.brodnik@srpei.org
Tom and his wife have been seasonal residents since 2013. They typically spend much of the summer, as well as the holiday season, on the Island. Tom has been licensed to practice law in Indiana and California for over thirty years. His primary focus has been to assist both businesses and individuals in civil and criminal litigation. Tom is also a registered civil mediator in the State of Indiana. Tom represents clients in diverse industries, including publishing, construction, and motor sports. Tom has a undergraduate degree in accounting, so he also advises clients on general business law as well as civil and criminal tax matters.
Director: Carol Franklin - carol.franklin@srpei.org
Carol Franklin found PEI as a teen camping with her family, and they have since owned their summer cottage in Priest Pond for over five decades. She is passionate about golf, crafts, fly fishing, lobsters, birds and lupines, and actively bikes the Confederation Trail and hikes the shorelines and beaches. Having retired from her career with Apple, she is originally from Canton NY and now has her winter home in Arizona.
Director: Amanda MacKinnon - amanda@srpei.org
Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Amanda has lived in Calgary, Alberta for the last 10 years. However, home will always be PEI for her! In 2020, she purchased a cottage in the Belfast area, and her current job as a manager for a group of environmental scientists, allows her to work remotely from the sandy red shores of eastern PEI. Having worked for Parks Canada for several years prior to moving west (that's out west, not up west!), she is a passionate advocate for PEI, and loves telling anyone who will listen just why PEI is so great. Ask her about where to find the best fish and chips, the top flavour of Cows ice cream, or how to best entertain yourself on PEI!
Director: Melissa Noyes - melissa.noyes@srpei.org
Melissa is from Indiana via Wisconsin and first visited PEI in 2012 to explore all things “Anne.” She promptly fell in love with the island and became a seasonal resident a year later when she and her husband, David, purchased their property near Kensington. Melissa and David have been nomads for the past four years, spending time in PEI in the summer and on their small sailboat in the Bahamas in the winter. Melissa has an MSW from Indiana University and has worked in vocational rehabilitation, mental health counseling, advocacy/policy, consulting, and management. Before embarking on nomad life, she worked in the Indianapolis area as Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit consulting practice focusing on diversity and inclusion, was President of a private consulting practice focusing on social media and outreach for nonprofits and small businesses, and served as Director at a mental health counseling agency where she worked in many aspects of operations including hiring, management, team building, and social media. Melissa is committed to fostering and supporting strong communities no matter where she’s living and is excited for the opportunity to serve on the SRPEI board
Director: Chuck Stevenson - chuck.stevenson@srpei.org
Chuck Stevenson has been a seasonal resident of Prince Edward Island since 2004. After having first visited the province in 1993 he and his three children have forged strong personal ties with the people, places and institutions of PEI. Born and raised in the Boston, Massachusetts, area, he has worked in marketing for a number of technology companies including Cognos, IBM and currently at Rootstock Software. He also serves on the board of directors for Zen Habitats and the homeowners association where he lives in PEI. His passions include the Boston Celtics and long days spent on a sunny beach.