Our Team

Deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and triple-bottom-line economics, we are a people-first organization. Our staff is a tight team of highly qualified professionals who have previously faced personal or systemic challenges to access the Canadian labor market equitably.

Caitlyn Gass

Associate, Graphic Design

Caitlyn Gass brings a creative, multidisciplinary approach to MDR’s design work, supporting a range of visual projects across digital campaigns, publications, presentations, and social media….

Catherine E. Robar

Director, Strategic Partnerships

Catherine is responsible for building lasting relationships with regulators, public-interest organizations, and mission-driven partners, advancing MDR’s work in strategic communications, public engagement and organizational leadership….

Collette Deschenes

Director, Communications Strategy

Collette is a communications professional in Nova Scotia with over 10 years of experience dedicated to helping regulators and non-profit organizations build and foster relationships with stakeholders….

Daniel Roukema

CEO

Daniel is an award-winning strategist with more than 30 years of experience supporting non-profits and public sector organizations. His work advances equity, trust, & social impact through leadership, communications, &…

Edwin Acquah

Manager, Projects & Operations

Edwin Acquah brings more a decade of local and international expertise in business advisory services, process improvements, administration, and operations. Specializing in business analytics, strategy development, and continuous improvem……

Maestro

Chief of Staff

For the past 11 years, our Maestro has spent his time eating, sleeping, and playing. He isn’t that great at customer service, and leadership and communication skills are something to…

Melissa Peneycad

Director, Public Engagement & AI Strategy

With more than 20 years of experience across the non-profit, private, governmental, and academic sectors, Melissa brings extensive expertise in public engagement, operations, sustainability, and business development….

Oluwatoyin Aguda

Associate, Digital Media

Toyin is an experienced communications professional specializing in journalism, content creation, and social media management. Ensuring impactful digital engagement for clients, she has a proven ability to develop foundational and…

Sophie Kerr

Associate, Communications

Sophie oversees the day-to-day communications for several clients in the non-profit and public sectors. Prior to joining, MDR, she was the marketing & communications officer at King’s-Edgehill School, Canada’s oldest…

Wayne Adams

Consultant Emeritus

The Hon. Dr. Wayne Adams is one of Nova Scotia’s most recognizable political figures. An award-winning former broadcast journalist, and former newspaper columnist, former municipal & provincial politician, and environmental…

Our Culture

We foster a collaborative, inclusive environment where expertise meets innovation, and every team member contributes to our mission of advancing public-interest leadership.

Collaborative Excellence

We work together, leveraging our diverse expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.

Continuous Learning

We invest in our people’s growth and development, staying current with best practices and emerging trends.

Impact-Driven

We measure our success by the positive impact we create for the organizations and communities we serve.

Join Our Team

We’re always looking for talented professionals who share our commitment to public-interest leadership.