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Board of Directors

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The Board of Directors is the core governance body of the Corporation. It meets regularly throughout the year and is made up of directors (nominated by the member organizations and the Board of Directors) and appointed by the member organizations.

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The Board has direct responsibility over a number of committees reporting to the Board.
Board committees address matters such as:

• nominations for governance positions;
• oversight of the Corporation’s governance practices;
• and governance policies.

​Advisory committees provide advice on matters relating to the operations, monitoring,
and World Heritage Site periodic reporting.

The Corporation’s Executive Director, working in the Grand Pré area, serves as the secretariat for the organization and runs day-to-day operations,
​overseen by the Board and the Board Chair.

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Dr. Neil Boucher

Dr. Neil Boucher is a retired professor and senior university administrator whose career spans 40 years in the Canadian university system. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history (Governor General’s medal for highest academic standing in a bachelor’s program) as well as a master and doctorate degrees in Canadian history specializing in the study of the ethnic group to which he belongs, that is, the Acadian community in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. He graduated with his Ph.D. in 1992 from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He began his career as a professor at his alma mater in 1974, an undergraduate university in Nova Scotia and continued teaching there until the year 2000. From that year until 2004 he was academic vice president in charge of teaching and research at that same institution. In 2004 he was named Academic vice president at the University of Moncton, a position he held for two consecutive five-year mandates. He retired in 2014.
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During his career, Dr. Boucher published many articles in a variety of journals all of which were directly or indirectly related to his Ph.D. thesis. He also acted as guest professor in other Canadian universities and was a guest lecturer at the Institut catholique des études supérieures in France. Throughout his career he devoted a significant amount of time to public and private institutions working for the betterment of Acadian history in Canada. In 1995, the French government recognized his contribution to post-secondary education and to his community by bestowing him one of the country’s highest scholarly awards, les Palmes académiques.

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Beverly Ann Boyd 
​Chair​

Bev is a retired federal manager with over 35 years of experience at the national and regional levels, including 19 years with Parks Canada (PC). Appointed as a Director-at-large to the LGP Inc. in September 2023, Bev offers broad experiences and knowledge in government administration, public engagement; strategic planning; and natural and cultural heritage protection and presentation. Bev holds a degree in Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University and several commendations from the Public Service of Canada.

Bev has a deep understanding and appreciation of the Landscape of Grand Pré UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over her years with Parks Canada, she advised on public relations and management issues concerning Grand Pré National Historic Site (GPNHS including supporting PC involvement in the UNESCO inscription. From 2020-23, she served on joined the Education and Marketing Committee and was active in the visitor experience concept development process. In 2022L she returned to PC part-time to assist with the completion of the new GPNHS Management Plan. Bev is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee.

​Active in her community, Bev is a member of Planning and Advisory Committee, for the Town of Wolfville. She served on the Wolfville Historical Society Board of Directors from 2020 to 2023. With her interest in culinary tourism, the arts, and personal connection, she has worked in local vineyards, and supports various community initiatives.. Bev and her husband Steve and dog live in downtown Wolfville. They have two sons and extended family in Nova Scotia and beyond.

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Pierre Clouthier

I have been programming computers since 1965. I was a CUSO volunteer (1968–69), teaching physics in Spanish in La Paz, Bolivia. I worked for Maritime Life Insurance in Halifax; Sperry Univac (computer manufacturer) in Halifax, Montreal and Calgary; Xerox in Montreal. I founded a laser-printing services company in Montreal in 1980. I worked for ScotiaTech, an IT department serving the Jodrey group of companies in Nova Scotia: Cobi Foods (Berwick), Ben’s Bakeries (Halifax), Pole Star Trucking (Hanstport), Maritime Paper Products (Dartmouth), CKF, Minas Basin Pulp & Power (both in Hantsport).

I founded Kyber Consulting, providing custom software development services to Larsen Packing in Berwick, and Maritime Paper Products. I also founded Progeny Software in 1995, specializing in genealogy graphics software, with international sales in fifty countries.

I’ve been on the board of directors of the companies I founded. I have a strong interest in preserving history, and honouring the courageous people who created the path and foundation of our exceptional society.
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My grandfather got me interested in genealogy in the 1970’s.

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Mindy Gallant-Zwicker

Mindy Gallant-Zwicker is a proud member of Glooscap First Nation who has lived in her community for more than 35 years. She is deeply committed to supporting and strengthening Mi’kmaw culture, language, and community well-being.

Earlier in her career, Mindy worked with the Mi’kmaw Legal Support Network as a Customary Law Program Facilitator. In this role, she helped facilitate Mi’kmaw Justice Circles for First Nation individuals in Nova Scotia facing criminal charges. Through this work, she supported culturally grounded approaches to justice that emphasized accountability, healing, and community involvement.

Today, Mindy serves as the Cultural and Language Coordinator for Glooscap First Nation. In this role, she organizes cultural programming, language learning opportunities, and community events that help preserve and revitalize Mi’kmaw traditions and language for current and future generations. Her work reflects a strong commitment to cultural continuity, community education, and the celebration of Mi’kmaw identity.
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Through both her justice work and her current cultural leadership, Mindy continues to contribute meaningfully to the well-being and cultural strength of her community.

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​Councillor Doug Gates

I am ​a​ fourth-generation farmer and resides in Port Williams. My wife Marianne and I raised our two daughters here and we are now watching two granddaughters grow up here. This longstanding connection has given me a profound appreciation for our history, values, and unique character.

For the past 30 years, I have proudly operated Gates U-pick on Starr’s Point Road. Farming has been a central part of my life and has significantly influenced who I am.

In addition to my business endeavours, I was as a village commissioner serving on the recreation and hall trustee committees and am a current 20-year member of the Port Williams Lions Club.

Involvement in my community has always been a priority. I am always ready to listen to all perspectives and look forward to hearing from the community on issues that matter to them. I am honoured to represent my area as Councillor for District 2 of the Municipality of the County of Kings.

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Amy MacDonald
​Secretary

Amy MacDonald is currently the National Historic Site and Visitor Experience Manager for Parks Canada's Northern New Brunswick Field Unit overseeing Grand-Pré National Historic Site as well several other historical sites. With 15 years at Parks Canada, she began her career as a summer student at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site and started in 2019 worked as the Visitor Experience Team Leader at Grand-Pré National Historic Site.

Amy is passionate about collaborating with partners and stakeholders to enhance visitor experiences and promote the region's rich culture and heritage. She has a deep understanding of the Landscape of Grand-Pré World Heritage Site through her work at Grand-Pré NHS and Chair of the Education and Marketing Committee for the Landscape of Grand Pré Inc. Amy also sits on the Valley REN`s Tourism Working Group, focusing the development and growth of the tourism sector in the Annapolis Valley.
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Amy holds a Master of Arts in Public History from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Cape Breton University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and going on adventures with her dog Leyla.

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Beverly Palmeter 
​Vice-Chair

Beverly Palmeter is a resident of North Grand Pré where her family operates a dairy farm. She and her husband Donald operate a sheep farm in the same location as the family’s dairy farm. She is part of the eighth generation of her family to farm in Grand Pré and work the lands of the Grand Pré marsh.

Beverly has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture which she received from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (Dalhousie University) where she majored in Animal Science. She recently returned to the family farm to take on management roles in both the sheep and dairy portions of the farm. Prior to that, she worked as a Sales Associate and Team Lead for Penningtons retail store, as a Sales Representative for DACO Animal Nutrition, and as an Agrologist with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture.
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Her community is very important to her. She has undertaken many leadership roles in her community including volunteering with a local 4-H Club and County 4-H Council as well as with Landscape of Grand Pré Society and Landscape of Grand Pré Incorporated, Purebred Sheep Breeders’ Association of Nova Scotia, Grand Pre Marsh Body, Kings County Federation of Agriculture, West Nova Holstein Club and the Nova Scotia Heritage Conference.

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Cyrilda Poirier
​Treasurer

Cyrilda Poirier worked 24 years with the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador until her retirement from the organization in 2010. In 2013 she came out of retirement and assumed the role of president. She has (and is still actively doing so as a volunteer) devoted her professional life to the Francophone and Acadian communities on a national, provincial, and Atlantic level. Besides being a founding member of a few Acadian cultural organisations, she was also a founding member of two national foundations and more recently gave her voice and support to a third one in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2019, she was recognized by the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador with the Prix Roger Champagne. She has since also become a member of the Compagnie des Cents-Associés which recognizes the contribution and dedication of individuals throughout Canada.

In 2021, Cyrilda and her husband, Raymond (now retired but still working as a scientific researcher), left St. John’s and settled in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Besides exploring and discovering their new home province, they are also discovering the world through their extensive travels.

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