Meet our Board of Directors
CUA is a full-service banking institution serving 20,000 customers with flexible products, personalized service and quick decisions. The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and direction to the organization. The following individuals make up the current CUA Board:
Jay Aird
Chair of Board
Donna Harding
Vice Chair of Board
Andrew Inch
Chair, Audit Committee
Karim George
Chair, Credit Committee
Carrie Cussons
Chair, Governance Committee
Don Bureaux
Director
Joyce Carter
Director
Mike Casey
Director
Malcolm Fraser
Director
Meet Jay
Jay has a diverse background with 15 years’ operational experience in industries including information technology and manufacturing/processing.
As Chief Financial Officer of a food processing company, Jay leads business through growth and change within highly competitive global markets. These experiences have provided him the opportunity to develop expert skills in areas of operations, finance, and strategy, and will enable him to add value as a director in support of CUA’s future success.
Jay is passionate about technology and innovation. He has co-founded multiple software start-ups, including Hungry Bug Games, a developer of evidence-based early literacy games.
Jay received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Level III Candidate. Jay is excited for the opportunity to be part of guiding a cooperative model that invests in a community that he now calls home with his wife and two young sons.
Jay joined the CUA Board in 2017 and is the Chair of the Board.
Meet Donna
Donna is a real estate Broker and co-owner of Engel & Völkers in Nova Scotia. In her role with Engel & Völkers, she has grown the company to a highly successful and well-respected brokerage in only four years, expanding across the province.
Prior to joining the real estate sector, Donna spent her career in the Canadian Navy where she was a Logistics Officer and retired as a Senior Officer in 2006. Amongst her many qualifications, Donna holds the FRI designation, is a member of the REIC faculty and helps other Realtors obtain their FRI designation. She has also completed the Credit Union Director Achievement (CUDA) Program.
Donna's community leadership is extensive and has included Parkinson’s, Special Olympics, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 100 Women Who Care and the IWK. As a wife and mother of 2 boys, Donna enjoys spending quality time with her family whether on the boat or at the cottage.
Donna joined the CUA Board in 2016, is Vice Chair of the Board and is a member of the Governance Committee.
Meet Andrew
Andrew is a long-term resident of Halifax. For over fifteen years, he has worked in executive roles for large family-owned businesses in the infrastructure construction and real estate development industries throughout both Atlantic Canada and internationally. He has been responsible for leading strategic business development initiatives, government and corporate relations, and complex transactions.
Andrew is a lawyer, called to the Bar in 2004, and practiced for several years in the areas of litigation and dispute resolution at a large private law firm in Halifax. In addition to his business roles, he continues to provide legal advice spanning a wide range of law topics impacting businesses, including contracts, regulatory and administrative matters, dispute resolution, property, health and safety, human resources, and mergers and acquisitions.
He has always enjoyed contributing to the community in various volunteer capacities.
Andrew joined the CUA Board in April 2018 and is the Chair of the Audit Committee.
Meet Karim
Karim began his career in corporate banking; learning all he could about what makes a successful business. In 2012, Karim put his knowledge to work and started his own business in video production, which quickly grew to a full-service marketing agency.
Karim’s determination, drive and ability to see opportunity where others didn’t earned him a great deal of respect and recognition in Halifax. In 2016, Karim was an RBC top 25 Canadian Immigrant and in 2019 and 2020 he was a finalist for the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award.
Karim has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with majors in accounting and marketing.
Karim joined the CUA Board in April 2020 and is the Chair of the Credit Committee.
Meet Carrie
Carrie is the President & CEO of Events East Group, managing the largest multipurpose facility in Atlantic Canada. Since joining the organization in 2009, Carrie has been a strategic lead in all areas of the business with a core responsibility for ensuring the efficient delivery of corporate and operational initiatives to support business growth and success. She was previously the Chief Financial Officer, responsible for finance, human resources and technology.
A graduate of Acadia University, Carrie received her CPA, CA designation in 1991, and in 2015, she completed the Director’s Education Program through the Institute of Corporate Directors. Carrie is currently a member of the Women’s Leadership Collaborative and the International Women’s Forum of Canada, Secretary of NAIG 2023 (North American Indigenous Games), and Past Chair of the 2020/21 IIHF Women’s World Championship. In 2020, Carrie was named a Canadian Progress Women of Excellence Award Winner.
Carrie joined the CUA Board in 2021 and is the Chair of the Governance Committee.
Meet Don
Don is currently the President of Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), a position he has held since 2011.
Don holds a certificate in Adult Education and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. Don is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified General Accountant and holds an international designation as a Certified Business Counsellor through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). He has been granted his Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA) designation by CPA Canada and his Fellow Certified General Accountant (FCGA) designation by CGA Canada.
Don has been recognized as one of the Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine for five consecutive years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2022, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his work in the field of education. Don serves on the boards of many not-for-profit organizations in Nova Scotia.
Don joined the CUA Board in 2024.
Meet Joyce
Joyce is currently the President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA), a role she has held since 2014.
Joyce has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary's University and is a graduate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, receiving the designation of Fellow Chartered Accountant. She also obtained the Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation in 2015 and was named one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine from 2017-2020 and as 2019 Business Leader of the Year by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Joyce has been on numerous boards, including the Airports Council International (ACI) World Governing Board and the ACI North America Board of Directors, and Chair of the Canadian Airports Council, the first woman to hold that role, and the Atlantic Canadian Airports Association.
An active community leader, Joyce has also served as a director for several organizations, including Dalhousie University, Develop Nova Scotia and the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
Joyce joined the CUA Board in 2022 and is a member of the Credit Committee and the Governance Committee.
Meet Mike
Mike is a native Haligonian and retired chartered accountant who had been involved in public practice for forty-five years. In addition to this work, he specialized and obtained the Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation.
During these years, Mike became a partner (equity owner) in the firms in which he was involved: Coopers & Lybrand, PwC, and Hemming Weir Casey Inc. He has served on many boards over the years and received directors’ training in connection with these activities.
Mike’s financial background is an important asset to the CUA Board as well as his experience with small and medium-sized businesses, which he acquired as part of his audit practice. His knowledge of the business and regulatory environment is another area of expertise that adds value to the organization.
Mike joined the CUA Board in 2021 and is a member of the Credit Committee.
Meet Malcolm
Malcolm is the Managing Partner of NPC Ventures. This venture capital fund invests in Canadian companies that develop naturally derived solutions that benefit people, animals and the planet. A proven innovation leader in Canada, Malcolm Fraser has founded and exited companies, managed acceleration and incubation programs, and led one of Canada’s most successful early-stage venture capital funds.
Through his career, Malcolm has demonstrated to investors and entrepreneurs that he knows what it takes to launch world-class companies from humble beginnings. During his tenure at Innovacorp, he focused the entire team on supporting companies to successfully commercialize early stage technology to globally competitive businesses. This success was recently recognized by achieving the 2022 Canadian Venture Capital Associations Deal of the Year for the $101 M gain on its Metamaterials Inc. holdings.
Prior to Innovacorp, Malcolm was a career entrepreneur, focused mainly on opportunities in the digital sector. Through companies like ISL and eplicity, he has been recognized for his leadership in the practice of digital transformation. A committed community leader, Malcolm participated in governance roles locally and nationally in the areas of the visual arts, medical research, and youth sport.
Born in Nova Scotia, Malcolm attended Mount Allison University, earning a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing and economics. He lives with his family in Chester.
Malcolm joined the CUA Board in 2022 and is a member of the Audit Committee.
2025 Director Election
Read the Update on 2025 Director Nomination and Election Process.