Our People

Ibtesum brings extensive experience in research coordination and facilitation to her role as Research Officer with the Engage team, supporting its growing global and national project partnerships in knowledge creation and dissemination.

Eileen Alma is the Executive Director at Coady Institute, St. Francis Xavier University. She has been with Coady since 2013 and previously held the position of Director, International Centre for Women’s Leadership.

Adam brings over 25 years’ experience in such areas as new project development and management, Australian Indigenous development, and youth leadership development.

Andrew is responsible for the overall financial management of the Institute including, but not limited to, financial management, internal control and development of financial management policies and procedures.

Lola joined the Coady staff in May 1999, bringing with her three years of experience working in an accounting office environment. At the Coady, Lola manages and maintains the daily financial functions of the Institute.

Digafie is a trained dialogue facilitator and third-party neutral mediator.

Martha Fanjoy has more than 15 years of experience in applied research, teaching, and program development, in both Canada and internationally

Yogesh is Senior Program Teaching Staff in the thematic area of Inclusive Economies at Coady where he facilitates the institute’s educational and training programs, research and knowledge building initiatives, and capacity strengthening efforts globally.

Krista has been working in Indigenous education for over 15 years and earned a Masters of Education, Indigenous focus from St. Francis Xavier University.

Sue is responsible for the Coady website, as well as the design and creation of print materials such as the annual report, education brochure, etc.

Catherine is responsible for the overall operations of the library, as well as maintaining the library’s catalogue on the Novanet system.

Julien designs and facilitates educational programs and leads knowledge building initiatives focused on citizen engagement, advocacy, social accountability, inclusive governance, and participatory democracy.

Prior to joining the Coady team, Brian was General Manager and Editor of the Casket newspaper in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Johnann joined Coady in November, 2018 as Executive Assistant and Manager of Operations.

Jenny joined the Engage! Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship team as Impact Officer, translating and disseminating knowledge outputs from the Engage project for policymakers, practitioners, graduates, and the public.

Pauline MacIntosh worked with the St. Francis Xavier University Extension Department from 1997 until its merger with the Coady International Institute in 2021, at which time Coady Institute was formed.

Erin is a key person in the admissions process – moving applications through the system, responding to queries and ensuring all documents are correct.

Lynn is the Coady Development Officer who fundraises to support participants, programs and the Institute.

Nikita Patel is the Executive Assistant to Eileen Alma, the Executive Director of the Coady Institute. In this role, Nikita is responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of the Executive Director's office.

Karri-Lynn Paul is a skilled Wolastoqewisqehs adult educator, born and raised in Wôlastôqewisqehsan (Woodstock First Nation) in what is now known as New Brunswick.

Inspired by community-driven development, Jess’s work aims to connect people, develop partnerships, and foster collaborative and strengths-based approaches to better support communities. Jess believes that as individuals and communities, we collectively have the skills, assets and strengths to address our social, environmental and economic issues. Jess has worked alongside partners and communities across Nova Scotia and beyond to create spaces for people from all walks of life to come together to discuss the critical issues of today, leading to positive systems change. Jess joined the Centre for Employment Innovation (within the former StFX Extension Department) in 2017 and is currently the Director of Social Innovation (interim) at Coady Institute.

Paula Romanow joined the Extension Department in April 2017 as manager, Applied Research for the Centre for Employment Innovation.

Cathy is responsible for assisting in the daily operations of the library, and providing technical assistance to the Institute’s participants and staff.

Sarika Sinha joins Coady Institute as a Program Teaching Staff member leading our global women’s leadership programming

Wellington brings 10 years of experience advancing Asset-Based and Citizen-Led Development approaches through training and projects in countries like Brazil, Uganda, Colombia, United States, Canada, and more recently Indonesia.

Gail contributes to the financial and administrative lifecycles of a range of projects and partnerships at Coady Institute.

In her position as marketing and communications officer, Katie’s role is to manage all communications initiatives for the CEI, as well as the social media presence of StFX Extension, and provide other departmental support as required.

Veronica Torres joins the Coady Institute with global experience in adult education working with practitioners focused on gender equality, social inclusion, and alignment of power and asset-based development.

Marian Turniawan joined the Coady Institute as a Research Coordinator for the Centre for Employment Innovation (CEI) in April 2021, then became a Research Officer for the wider Institute in April 2023 before moving into the role of Program Teaching Staff with a Climate Focus in May 2024.