Board Of Governors

She practiced general family dentistry for 33 years before her retirement in 2019. She taught part-time in the faculty of dentistry for many years and remains associated with Dalhousie as a long-time member of the Dalhousie Dental Alumni Committee. For many years she contributed to her profession by her involvement with committees for the Nova Scotia Dental Association and the Halifax County Dental Society. She serves on the Board of Governors of STFXU.

In 1993 Dr. Abbass founded Isaiah House Special Care Society, a not-for-profit group which operates a small group home in Dartmouth, NS to care for her handicapped brother and two other men. Presently she continues to oversee the operation of the home and serves as Chair of the Board of the Society.

She is focused on the disciplined margin management and process design that determine whether complex, capital-intensive projects deliver on their economics. Finance Operations Manager at Lindsay Construction in Halifax, Fernanda has built her career across aviation, infrastructure, SaaS, and construction, working closely with project teams, executive leadership, and external partners on the negotiations and reporting systems that protect project margin. She works from a conviction that margin is won or lost in the operational detail — in the negotiation, the process, the decision no one else is watching.

She brings an entrepreneurial heart to every organization she joins, alongside a deep belief in the role of women as a foundation of strong families, companies, and communities. It is that alignment of values that drew her to Sacred Heart, where her daughter Maria Victoria begins Grade 1 this year.

Fernanda earned a Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Saint Mary’s University, and holds a postgraduate diploma in Finance from Universidad de La Sabana and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Universidad de los Andes, both in Colombia. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Her diverse client portfolio includes Libra and Ceybon AF, non-alcoholic beverage brands, Devour! The Food Film Festival, the Menopause Foundation of Canada, Anne of Green Gables Chocolates, Lucky Iron Fish and Bend Beauty. Be Curious PR was recognized as one of the “Top 10 Food and Beverage Marketing Service Companies in Canada” in 2023.

Aside from her role at BeCurious PR, Natasha is deeply committed to expanding her family businesses, Helmos Realty and the Chebucto Inn. Her professional journey began as a VP at Fleishman Hillard High Road, a prominent tech firm in Toronto. Upon her return to Nova Scotia in 2011, she collaborated with Bell Aliant to enhance its profile as a mental health advocate and played a pivotal role in launching Skinfix’s brand at Sephora.

Natasha is an alum of Sacred Heart and holds a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University. She resides in Halifax with her husband, Brad, and their two children, James (Class of 2026) and Lily, who attends Sacred Heart.

She completed her undergraduate education at St. Francis Xavier University and then taught in both the public and private sector for 17 years. In 1975 she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart and subsequently completed a MA at Boston College in Pastoral ministry.

In 2011, Sr. Anne-Marie Conn returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia to reside at Barat Residence where we have now established a small spirituality centre.  From 2013-18, she was a member of the Provincial Leadership Team of the United States–Canada province of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Prior to this she lived and worked for 5 years in the United States, following the15 years on the leadership team in Canada.

The beginning of her time in the USA was spent at Sprout Creek Farm, an educational learning center based on sustainable living. In 2009, Anne-Marie left there to study in Oakland, CA at Holy Names University. In the late 80’s, she worked at Anishinabe Spiritual Center in Espinola, ON and since then, has had a growing interest in an earth-based spirituality. This was enhanced while Anne-Marie was at Sprout Creek Farm and led her to enroll at Holy Name University in the MA Culture and Spirituality program. While there, Anne-Marie was engaged by the Cosmology program at Genesis Farm, based on the writings of Thomas Berry.

Her journey has now led her back to Halifax, where she collaborates with others around the work of Spiritual programming and Accompaniment in which she has been working since 1991 in a variety of settings.  She currently serves on the Facilities committee of Sacred Heart School in Halifax. She is an avid gardener and enjoys oil painting.

She is one of four children, a native of San Francisco and she attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco as well as Lone Mountain College. Barbara has a JD degree from the University of San Francisco Law School and is a member of the State Bar of California and of Missouri.

She is currently a pro bono attorney working with the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant and the San Francisco Bar Association Justice and Diversity Committee Project. Currently, she represents immigrants primarily from Central America and Mexico.

Barbara also has an M.A. degree in International Comparative Education from Stanford University. In addition to practicing law on and off over the span of many years, Barbara served the Society of the Sacred Heart as provincial of the US Province (1993-99, 2012) and provincial of the United States-Canada province from 2013-2016) and as Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart globally from 2016-2024. Barbara administered at Catholic Charities as Director of Public Policy and Immigration Outreach, as principal of St. Martin de Porres Elementary School in West Oakland, CA, as an ESLteacher at Atma Jaya University in Indonesia.

As a young RSCJ, she worked as a part-time teacher at Sacred Heart schools in California and Boston and has served on the boards of several Sacred Heart schools in the United States. For relaxation, Barbara loves to garden, watch movies and spend time with friends and family.

His books include Nietzsche and Theology and The Tyranny of the Banal: On the Renewal of Catholic Moral Theology. Originally from Ireland, he lives in Dartmouth with his wife Jennifer and their daughters, Sophia, Chora, and Áine. Chora and Áine previously attended Sacred Heart.

Dennis previously held roles responsible for capital planning and campus development at the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University. He is an avid runner and enjoys playing the fiddle. He lives in Halifax with his wife Isabelle and their three daughters, Caroline (SHSH Class of 2025), Moira, and Alice, with Moira and Alice currently attending Sacred Heart.

She received her Masters Degree in Theology from St. Louis University. She is a Certified Pastoral Educator Emerita, member of the Association for Pastoral Education and Board Certified Chaplain. Her most recent ministry was as the RSCJ Provincial of the United States-Canada Province (2016-2021).

Prior to provincial administration she was Director of Pastoral Care and Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor at St. Louis University Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, and was the RSCJ Director of Formation for the United States province. She is currently on sabbatical and refreshing her Spanish language skills.

Rebecca received her Queen’s Counsel designation in 2022. In addition to her involvement with Sacred Heart, Rebecca is a part-time instructor at the Schulich Faculty of Law at Dalhousie University, a Life Director of the Neptune Theatre Foundation, having served as Chair for four years and on the executive for ten, and is a 28-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Rebecca lives in Dartmouth with her husband Mitch LeBlanc and their son Luc, who has attended Sacred Heart since Junior Primary.

With a dedication to assisting her clients through a comprehensive, personalized approach, Danette focuses on goal-oriented planning to safeguard, grow, and pass on wealth for future generations. Danette holds a BA in Economics from Memorial University and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business School in Scotland. She lives in Dartmouth with her husband Chris and her daughter Charlie, who has been a proud student at Sacred Heart since Primary. Danette thrives on adventurous pursuits such as skiing, boating, and exploring different cultures through international travel. Danette is honoured to have been nominated to the Board of Governors and to serve as the co-chair of the Engagement Committee.

Michelle has spent the past 25 years in sales and customer service both in the real estate and automotive industries in the greater Halifax area. She prides herself on building a relationship-focused customer base.

Michelle is an active community volunteer and has been involved at many levels at SHSH since enrolling her daughter, Michaela, in the Junior Primary Program. She currently calls Dartmouth home along with her husband, David, and their daughter, Michaela, a 2026 graduate of Sacred Heart.