DiscoverAbilities Events Society
Meet the Board of Directors!
The Board of Directors is a group of individuals who came together to form DiscoverAbilities Events Society and oversee the organization and activities of the society. Each Director holds a different position on the board - you can get to know each of them below!
Meagan
Chair of the Board
Meagan is currently in her third year of Business Administration at Mount Saint Vincent University. She will soon being embarking on her first Co-op Term where she will work as the Sandbox Coordinator for the university. A provincially funded project, there are four sandboxes around Nova Scotia. Meagan will work with the ‘Community Sandbox’ which is a partnership between MSVU, SMU and NSCC that creates an “environment where students, innovators and industry can develop new ideas that could become businesses.”
Having a passion for our home province of Nova Scotia and for all things entrepreneurial, Meagan tries to support as many initiatives as possible; whether that is buying gifts from local artisans and supporting local farmer’s markets and Craft Fairs to volunteering with social enterprises and working alongside entrepreneurship educators in previous work placements. She currently volunteers with Autism Nova Scotia’s Promise of a Pearl which is social enterprise employing adults on the autism spectrum to create and sell beautiful jewelry. She is also very involved in the Nova Scotia Secondary School Student’s Association (NSSSA) where she acts as an Alumni volunteer at many conferences and also sits as Secretary on the board for the NSSSA Alumni Association.
The NSSSA has been an integral part of where Meagan is today and the things she has accomplished. Last year, the governing body of NSSSA agreed to fund the Adult Inclusion Conference which Meagan piloted along with a committee of secondary and post-secondary students. The conference, held in May 2014, was a success and Meagan is thrilled to be continuing with similar events through the brand new DiscoverAbilities Events Society. Having been fortunate enough to assemble such a passionate and talented team, Meagan cannot wait to see what this Society will do in the years to come. She hopes you will come along for the ride.
Born and raised in the heart of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Brenna was always outdoors, playing sports and getting her hands dirty as a kid. She attended Southdale North Woodside Elementary and Prince Arthur Jr. High for grade school. During her time at Dartmouth High School Brenna was an active participant in the Nova Scotia Secondary School Students’ Association (NSSSA) as the Inclusion Co-Chair for both REACH ’09 and HANDS ’10. These were both leadership conferences for high school students with special needs aimed at promoting inclusion and community development. She graduated high school in 2009 and took a year off to plan another conference and work to save up for her education.
Brenna also worked for Scouts Canada for many years at a summer camp in Fall River called Camp Lone Cloud (CLC). Over the six years that Brenna worked at CLC she had many different jobs from Cabin/Leadership Counsellor to Leadership Directors.
In 2012 Brenna had the amazing opportunity to be the Camp Director at CLC, a childhood dream. This was an incredible learning experience hiring and training a staff of twenty and overseeing all aspects of the programs offered at CLC.
In the fall of 2012 Brenna began her first year at the Nova Scotia Community College in the Environmental Engineering Technology- Water Resources program. This program was aimed at all aspects of natural water resources analysis, management and remediation. Upon graduation of this program Brenna was offered a position in the Environmental Sales division at Atlantic Purification Systems Ltd, where Brenna continues to work.
In her spare time Brenna enjoys being outside, hiking or camping, going to concerts and hanging out with friends. Brenna also sits on a public relations team which promotes attendance and awareness of the Camp Lone Cloud programs. Brenna enjoys watching movies, a few TV shows (Battlestar Galactica, Once Upon A Time, Raising Hope are among the few), and playing board games with her friends.
Brenna is beyond excited to be a part of DiscoverAbilities Events Society as the Community Outreach Coordinator and can’t wait to meet you, so don’t be shy!
Jessica
Public Relations Coordinator
Marlene
Administrative Chair
Jessica is a graduate of Dalhousie University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honours) and certificate in Disability Management in 2012. After her undergraduate degree, Jessica worked as a Research Assistant in the IWK Autism Research Centre for two years where she gained invaluable experience in her field of interest. Currently, Jessica is a graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology program at Dalhousie University’s School of Human Communication Disorders.
During her undergraduate degree, Jessica was involved in NSSSA’s Inclusion conferences and most recently helped plan the first ever Adult Inclusion Conference. Jessica has also volunteered with the Autism Arts program and with Promise of a Pearl through Autism Nova Scotia over the past 3 years.
As a future health professional and someone who is passionate about supporting the abilities of those in her community, Jessica is excited to sit on the Board of Directors for the DiscoverAbilities Events Society. In her position as PR Coordinator, Jessica will be keeping the community up to date on the Society’s activities and promoting future events through various outlets such as social media, the website, radio, and more!
Marlene is the Admissions Officer at the QEII/Dalhousie School of Health Sciences. As the Admissions Officer, Marlene processes and scores applications, organizes events, represents the school at open houses/career days, sits on various committees and many other duties that require time management and attention to detail.
As a teenager, Marlene volunteered for Scouts Canada as a Jr. Scout leader. Later in life, Marlene held the position of volunteer coordinator, costume and prop designer and backstage manager for Nova Dance Studio. She helped with registration, food preparation and the opportunities fair at the 2010 H.A.N.D.S. Inclusion Conference and was very involved in the planning and implementation of the first ever Adult Inclusion Conference P.I.C.N.I.C.
Marlene is excited to put her skills to use in serving on the Board of Directors for DiscoverAbilities Events Society and in planning future conferences and events for persons of all abilities.
Taylor Owens, BSc Recreation (Therapeutic, Hons.), CTRS: Taylor is a graduate of Dalhousie University's Therapeutic Recreation program, and is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Taylor currently works at the Grace General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, rehabilitating individuals post neurosurgery.
Taylor has had years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. For many years, she has participated in, as well as planned, past Nova Scotia Secondary School Students' Association Inclusion Conferences. In 2013, Taylor was part of the team who planned the first ever Adult Inclusion Conference! Taylor is also a past employee of Regional Residential Services Society, supporting individuals with disabilities to live independently in the community, as well as The SCRI Society: The Club's summer camps. In previous years, Taylor has volunteered with Special Olympics, and has run improvisational theater sessions for individuals with brain injuries.
Taylor has always been passionate about supporting the community and making a difference. As the Advisory Committee Coordinator, Taylor will be bringing together community partners to support DiscoverAbilities Events Society. This may involve creating partnerships for fundraisers, community events, and education and advocacy. Taylor is looking forward to the DiscoverAbilities Events Society's first year, and the many more to come!