Sharon Davis-Murdoch, C.M., is a social justice champion. Retired from the Nova Scotia Public Service, Sharon’s political science background and public policy experience inform her work. Sharon works at the community level and is a founding member (2000) and the current Co-President of the Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC). Among her public policy accomplishments was the development of the first Provincial Guidelines for Culturally Competent Primary Health Care in Canada.

A recent recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Sharon was made a Paul Harris Fellow by the Halifax and Dartmouth Rotary Foundations of Rotary International in April and December 2022, recognizing her commitment to service over self.

Rev. Debbie Simmonds was raised in the East Preston community and lives there. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She has been active in her community and Church for many years. Debbie is currently the community outreach Pastor.

She also worked as a food service Supervisor and clinical Dietetic Technician for forty years working in healthcare and retired in 2017. Her current role is Food hub coordinator for the Preston Area Food Network, and in this role, she connects with all three communities.

Rev. Debbie joined the HAAC membership in October 2021, and in Jan 2024, was nominated as Co-President and agreed to fill the requirement of HAAC to have someone from the Black Community.

Archy was born and raised in the historical African Nova Scotian Community of North Preston in the Preston Township. He is the third youngest of 11 children to Louis (deceased 2016) and Laura Beals. He was married to Caroletta Downey-Beals (deceased 2023) and they raised three girls, Patrice, Letteisha (deceased 2021) and Kaya. He has two granddaughters, Kehlani and Kimaya.

Archy has a BA in Political Science from Dalhousie University, Diploma in Community College Education from NSCC and an M.Ed. in Lifelong Learning from MSVU with a focus in Africentric Leadership. He joined the Board of HAAC in 2021 and is currently the secretary for the executive committee.

Archy is employed with the Province of Nova Scotia as an EDIA Consultant, a position he has held since June 2022; after retiring from NSCC after 27 ½ years as Student Services Advisor and African Canadian Support. He is passionate and committed to the health and wellbeing of African Nova Scotian’s, especially men.

Relationship Manager Business Markets, Treasurer,

Reason I joined: To make an impact within the black communities.

Rhonda is currently working at the IWK as a Clinical Manager of Community Partnerships and Engagement with MHA and IYS-NS. She has been a HAAC board member for almost a decade and recently served as the Co-President in 2023. Rhonda has always had a passion for community health and wellness and joined the HAAC Board to contribute to HAAC’s great work in our African Nova Scotian communities and beyond!

Dr Yinka Akin-Deko is a Family Physician practicing in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She finished medical school in 2004 and has worked as a family physician since 2012. She completed her postgraduate training in London, England.

Dr Akin-Deko moved to work in Dartmouth Nova Scotia in September 2019. Her clinic incorporates all aspects of Family Medicine including prenatal care, child health, preventative area and end of life support.

Her special interests are dermatology and health equity. She is a member of various medical organisations including Health Association of African Canadians. Dr Akin-Deko enjoys traveling and reading.

Mario Rolle has Bahamian heritage and lives in Nova Scotia. He is a Clinical Social Worker, university instructor, and has 10 years’ experience developing domestic violence prevention and intervention programming with Black men.

Mario volunteered with organizations like the Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC) and Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) where he mentored young boys. He also facilitated various sessions on men’s health, mental health and social justice issues. Mario volunteered with CeaseFire Halifax and worked with at-risk youths between the ages of 16-25. In 2017, Mario started working for Nova Scotia Health in a program called Nova Scotia Brotherhood (the only health care service that focuses on Black Men Health & Mental Health).

Seneca is a Nurse Practitioner with a specialty in Mental Health & Addictions. She is also a HAAC Representative for Dalhousie Medical School’s General Admission Committee, and the Black Learner’s Application Pathway.

Andrew Howe was born and raised in East Preston, Nova Scotia, and has been involved in his community for many years. He is a member of East Preston United Baptist Church where he currently serves as Deacon. He is a member of the East Preston Active Transportation Committee and the African Descent Advisory Council. Andrew was also a member of the COVID Response team supporting the efforts of HAAC and ABSW in the Preston Township throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew is a graduate of the Transition Year Program at Dalhousie and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University in 2018. He currently works at the Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia as the Education and Engagement Coordinator for African Nova Scotian Communities, and world to help bring information and support to people in the community who are on the dementia journey.

Elizabeth Obeng Nkrumah is a Registered Nurse with a great passion for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion for all her patients.

Elizabeth has over 17 years of nursing experience, working with diverse populations. She started her career in Ghana as a diploma nurse in 2006, moving on to do a bachelor of science in nursing in 2010. She graduated from the Master of Nursing program at Dalhousie University in 2022.

Elizabeth’s practice experience includes working as a nurse on the medical surgical unit, maternal and child unit, reproductive health, primary health care, Home care, Long-term care, Forensic mental health, and mental health.

Director, Health Equity, Safety, and Wellness – IWK Health

Angela has over 30 years of experience as a strategic leader, educator, and communicator, with a career rooted in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her work spans strategic and crisis communications, employee and community engagement, and the development of healthy, respectful workplace cultures.

Currently, Angela serves as the Director of Health Equity, Safety, and Wellness at IWK Health. In this newly established portfolio, she leads the integration of Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness; Equity and Belonging; and Respectful Workplace programs. Her mandate is to foster inclusive, equitable, and psychologically and physically safe environments for all employees, patients and families. She is guiding the strategic development of this portfolio in collaboration with both internal and external partners.

Angela’s public service career includes 21 years with the Government of Nova Scotia. Her leadership roles included:

• Executive Lead, Diversity and Inclusion for the Joint Regional Transportation Agency (now Link Nova Scotia) and the Public Prosecution Service.
• Director of Internal Communications and Strategic Relations, Public Service Commission.
• Communications Manager and founding team member for the Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs, where she played a key role in developing strategic plans, communication frameworks, and initiatives such as the African Heritage Month Information Network.
• Angela also co-chaired the 2016 Nova Scotia Public Service Diversity Conference and co-founded the African Canadian Women in the Public Service Network

Lisa Bland (Upshaw), RN, is a lifelong volunteer and Registered Nurse since 2008. Lisa is of African Nova Scotian and Acadian descent, and she resides historic Black Community of Windsor Plains (Three Mile Plains) where she hobby farms with her husband and two daughters.

Lisa has a BSc Nursing (2008) from Dalhousie University and is currently an MSc Nursing Student at Dalhousie University. She has remained involved in community over the years, always focused on care of community through advocacy for our belonging and equity, advancing education, and empowering youth. In addition to her role in HAAC, Lisa serves community on the Council of African Canadian Education as the Valley Regional Representative and Vice Chair, and member of the West Hants Regional Municipality’s Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Communities Committee.

Evan has a passion for helping people, active living and community. Joining HAAC as Executive Director was a natural fit, given his 25 years of work experience in the private sector, non-profit organizations and federal and provincial governments. His focus at HAAC is on creating financial stability and fostering growth in all aspects, while also supporting the HAAC board and staff.

Evan volunteers as the Executive of both the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation (HTF) and FUNSports. He was previously President of CBDC Bluewater and an executive board member for the Atlantic Association of CBDCs. He has also coached minor basketball, soccer and hockey.

In his personal life, Evan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and staying active.

Charisma Grace Walker is well-known for her leadership role as a consultant to African Nova Scotian communities, Black students, and educational institutions in the province of Nova Scotia.  Her experience includes working in hospitality, healthcare, and education.

Charisma’s true passion is healthcare and supporting people on the health continuum. With her initial educational and professional background in science and health care, she worked assiduously to enhance the well-being of African Nova Scotians as a Health Coach.  She pursued a double major in Social Anthropology and Psychology at Dalhousie University, then a graduate degree in counselling from Acadia University.  Staying close to her passion, Charisma embarked on a journey as a Registered Counselling Therapist – Candidate in private practice.

Staying true to her enthusiasm, curiosity, and zeal for knowledge, this lifelong learner is writing a PhD in Clinical Sexology.

Shelley Fashan was born and raised in the historically Black community of Cherry Brook.  She has a lengthy history of community involvement, activism and volunteerism.  She is passionate about creating spaces for artists and storytellers within her community.  She is a founding member of the African Nova Scotian Music Association and the Nova Scotia Mass Choir and co-founder of The Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival and producer of many cultural events.

She currently sits on the board of the Eastern Shore Cooperator, the Charles Taylor Theatre and Media Arts Association, the Road to Economic Prosperity, the Union of Black Artists and the Akoma Property Committee.  In working with HAAC, she feels privileged to be able to contribute to the improvement of health outcomes for the African Nova Scotian and African Canadian communities.

Soliel’s professional journey began in the medical field as a physiologist with specialization in exercise and rehabilitation in The Bahamas after her studies at Oakwood University (a Historically Black College and University) in Huntsville, Alabama. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in 2014, Soliel acquired a master’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Life University, after which she worked closely with the YMCA of Metro Atlanta as a wellness coach and later as an Exercise Physiologist in the Rehabilitation Department at a private hospital in The Bahamas.

He is a graduate of Computer Science from Madonna University and the holder of an MBA from the University of Lagos. He has experience working in diverse top tier organizations like Standard Bank Group which is the biggest bank in Africa, Salvation Army, IWK Hospital and Dalhousie University which ranks among the top 15 universities in Canada.

Emeka loves strategy and using data to make decisions. He has a passion for improving lives. He has managed projects in IT, procurement, vendor management, finance risk, logistics and supply chain.

Jasmine is originally from Guysborough, Nova Scotia, and identifies as African Nova Scotian. Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Psychology, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Master of Social Work in Toronto, Ontario. Jasmine is a registered social worker whose passion lies within the non-profit sector.

Jasmine is committed to advancing and developing programs and services that support Black/African Nova Scotians and working with communities “for us by us”. Jasmine successfully planned and hosted a justice symposium for service providers, service users, and various related organizations that featured more than 200 attendees in October 2023, and is currently co-chair of the African Nova Scotian Coordinated Justice Network. Jasmine holds positions on the John Howard Society of Nova Scotia and We Worthy Women. In her spare time, she enjoys exercising by taking fitness/dance classes, spending time with friends and family, and scrapbooking important events in her life.

Olayemi is a seasoned Project Manager and a PROSCI® certified Change Management Practitioner with over a decade of experience in community engagement, cross-cultural communication, and leading initiatives across the health, finance, and education sectors. He currently works at the Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC), where he manages projects aimed at improving health outcomes for African and Caribbean communities in Nova Scotia. Olayemi has also worked with various government and non-government organizations, including the Public Service Commission, Government of Nova Scotia, Public Works, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), and the Immigration Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). As a startup maestro, his previous leadership roles include Senior Training and Development Manager at Opay Digital Services Limited and Blueridge Microfinance Bank, where he led employee development initiatives and managed operations and customer service teams.

He is a graduate of Science Laboratory Technology, holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, and Diplomas in Customer Service and Human Resource Management. Some of his professional certifications include Project Management, Change Management, Business Process Improvement, Business Essentials, Lean Six Sigma (Yellow Belt), SAP Human Capital Management (HCM), Coaching and Mentoring, Adult Education, and Training and Development from Harvard Business School, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Nexford University, Project Management Institute, and Google respectively.