Board of Directors

Marc Beaubien

Chair

Marc has practiced law at Cox & Palmer since being called to the Bar. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University before attending law school at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. 

Marc is the past Board Chair at the Waegwoltic Club Ltd. serving on the governance, nomination, and aquatics committees, and has served on the Board of Governors at Armbrae Academy as the secretary and was part of the committee tasked with selecting a new Head of School. 

After growing up with dogs, Marc made the leap to cats when he rescued a neighbourhood stray, Gus. 

Marc joined the Nova Scotia SPCA Board in 2021 and currently holds the Executive Position of Chair. 

Gina McFetridge

Vice Chair

Gina has 25 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing, public relations, senior management, and leadership, which she brings to the insurance industry as well as her volunteer work. She spent a decade leading her family’s insurance brokerage, Archway Insurance, before joining BrokerLink as VP of Atlantic Canada. 

Gina is an active volunteer, having served on numerous professional and not-for-profit boards over the years. She is a past president of the Insurance Brokers Association of Nova Scotia, a former director on the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, and a past chair/director for the Chebucto Symphony Orchestral Society and Easter Seals Nova Scotia. 

Gina is an active member of her business community and a busy mother of two teenage boys. She enjoys staying physically active in nature and making music. 

Gina currently holds the Executive Position of Vice Chair.

Cayla Lamont

Treasurer

Cayla is a Chartered Professional Accountant and senior manager at McIsaac Darragh, in Amherst. Her focus is on assurance engagements for small to medium-sized not-for-profit and private companies.

Cayla was raised in Ontario and graduated with honours from the University of Guelph in 2015. After receiving her CPA designation in 2017, Cayla moved to Nova Scotia.

In 2019, Cayla adopted a senior dog from the SPCA, named Scruffy. Cayla joined the Nova Scotia SPCA Board in 2020 and loves to share Scruffy’s story and her animal passion with the community.

Mike Hurley

Past Chair

Mike is a Chartered Professional Accountant and is currently the CEO of Nova Scotia Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation. 

Mike has been volunteering with various organizations in the Halifax area for over 10 years. Mike is currently the Chair of, the Board of Directors of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Nova Scotia and has served on the Board since 2019. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Teachers Plus Credit Union and has reported directly to the Board in many of his professional roles including Vice President, Administration and CFO of the QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation. He has long been an animal lover and is hoping to align his passion for animals with his volunteer activities. 

Jim Kochanoff

Director at Large

Jim Kochanoff has been a Chartered Professional Accountant for over 15 years working with the Nova Scotia Provincial government at the Departments of Health and Wellness, Treasury Board and is currently a Manager for Business Licensing and Compliance with Service Nova Scotia. He is a former Treasurer and Chair for the Nova Scotia Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is looking forward to his third term with the SPCA. He is an author (www.adventurebooks.ca) for the four-part science fiction series “Drone World” and a children’s book called “There’s a Beagle in my Bed!” He is supported by his beautiful wife Avai, his smart daughter Jaya, his crafty cat Jax and his loyal dog servant, Ollie.

Danny Ellis

Cape Breton Regional Director

Danny Ellis is a well-known and well-respected Cape Breton business leader. As the president of Ellis Group of Companies, Danny has launched more than 20 successful small businesses over his four-decade career. He has been instrumental in driving the local economy by creating hundreds of jobs and boosting tourism on Cape Breton Island.

Danny is highly regarded for his excellence in hospitality and for revitalizing some of the oldest properties in the downtown district. Living his entire life in Sydney, Danny is driven to see the area thrive. He advocates for business leaders and governments to keep investing in the region and as a community leader, he supports many local causes.

Danny has volunteered his time with several boards and committees over the years, including a past term with the Cape Breton SPCA Board of Directors.

Jim Daigle

Kings Regional Director

Jim is CEO of Agri-Growers, a grower, and shipper company in Port Williams, Nova Scotia. He was born and raised in Kings County and is a graduate of Acadia University in Biology.

Jim has a life-long passion for animal welfare.

Jim joined the Nova Scotia SPCA Board in 2023.

Blair McIlwain

HRM & Lunenburg Regional Director

Blair McIlwain founded her own law firm on the South Shore in 2023, focusing on real estate law. Her practice covers many facets of real estate, including purchases, sales, migrations, mortgages, refinancing, and addressing complex title and access issues.

Blair grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but now lives in Bridgewater with her husband. Blair moved to Nova Scotia to attend Dalhousie Law School after completing her undergraduate degree at Carleton University.

When not at the office, she spends as much time as she can with her super mutt, Conrad (formerly Riley), alumni of the Kings County SPCA as her brother, Harvey (formerly Sugar). Blair is also the godmother to two pigs, Theo and Coco.

Emma Enman

Colchester & Cumberland Regional Director

A wife and mother of three, public relations and communications specialist, entrepreneur and animal welfare advocate, Emma has been supporting the SPCA for years through numerous donations and most recently as a member of the capital campaign team for the new North Nova build. Joining the capital campaign team for the North Nova build was an easy decision and is a project she is very proud to have worked on. Emma’s commitment to the SPCA is easily recognized through her leadership in two major fundraisers, securing significant donations and working continuously with the capital campaign team, as well as her own personal donations to the SPCA.

Community connection and support are very important to Emma.

Emma is currently President and Founder of CLJ Properties, has her Master of Public Relations and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Centre for Music on Summit, the Hemlock Group, the Little Harbour Community Centre, A.G. Baillie Student Advisory Council, and is former Chair of the Sobey Family Council. She is a past board member of the Sobey Foundation, the David and Faye Sobey Foundation and member of the Aberdeen Hospital Community Relations Committee.