Manuels River Community Inc Board

The MRCI BOD includes:

1.      Dr. Rod Taylor,  has a Ph.D. in Paleontology. In addition to working with Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, he works at the GEO centre in programming and interpretation. Dr. Taylor is an expert on the Manuels River Fossil collection having worked at MRHIC for over 3 years.

2.      Leah Casey, is a former employee of the MRHIC with extensive knowledge of the fossil collection and educational programming. She is on the Board for the Chamberlains Park Commission as well as a member of the Executive of the CBS Community Garden. She is currently a student at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador.

3.      Michael Harris is a former employee of the MRHIC. In his role there he had many responsibilities including communications, marketing and events management and planning. He has a diploma in Tourism studies.

4.      Emma Power, is currently a Master’s student at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. She worked at the MRHIC from 2017 to 2023 in multiple roles and has extensive experience in educational programming.

5.      Tara Cornick, is a certified childbirth educator, a registered yoga instructor, and a certifying doula. I have a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. She is an active volunteer including working with children with disabilities, teaching yoga and mindfulness at local schools and Girl Guide groups, volunteering in the hospital, and running and coordinating the Kids Eat Smart Breakfast Program for over 5 years.

6.      Jason Dawe CD, is the Manager of Airline Systems at PAL Airlines. A lifelong resident of CBS, he has been an active volunteer in the community including over 25 years with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets as a pilot with the Air Cadet Gliding Program and a retired Captain, is currently a Squadron Director of the Air Cadet League of NL while also being the chair of the Atlantic Region Flying Committee He had volunteered with Scouts Canada and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Stuttering NL

7.      Sharon Sharpe, was a teacher at Topsail elementary for over 30 years. She is passionate about the trail system and in educational programming. In addition to teaching, she has a background in business development and communications having published a local business magazine for a number of years.

8.      Dr. Sharon Deemer, has lived in Topsail for 33 years and worked in the Earth Science Dept at Memorial University. She was part of the Exhibits Committee that designed the museum space at the MRHIC and specialized in the development of the storyline of the Earth History part of the exhibit. She also continued to work on the Education Committee after the centre was built and has participated in the Eastern Geology Network promoting geologic tourism in Newfoundland as a consultant about the Earth History of Newfoundland.

9.      Lori Collins (Chair) has been on the board since 2022. She has a background in history, information studies and adult education. She is an instructor with the College of the North Atlantic. Shae has volunteered with MRIC in many areas including the CBS Parks Commission and the Manuels River Community Garden. As a volunteer, she also is a member of the Legion, the chair of the International Association of Privacy Professionals for NL and was appointed to the NL Health Research Ethics Board.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to the opportunity to meet with you soon.

Sincerely,
Lori Collins, Chair, MRCI Board of Directors