According to EPIC By-laws, the Board shall be made up of collaborative, dedicated, and open-minded individuals with a commitment to achieving the broadest community benefit and who each effectively represent the needs of marginalized learners from a unique perspective. The EPIC Board operates on the principle of consensus.
The Board currently consists of an Executive Board of five officers who serve as volunteers for automatically renewable terms.
Director of Planning (Chairperson)
Dan Christmas
Dan has served as Senior Advisor with the Membertou First Nations since 1997. He assists the Chief and Council and its Management Team with the day-to-day operations of the Community of Membertou. Dan is extremely active in the broader community serving, as well, on the Boards of New Dawn, the oldest economic community development agency in Sydney and Crossroads, a ‘clubhouse’ for adults with significant and persistent emotional disorders. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of EPIC, serving since 1996.
Director of Values and Ethics (Vice-Chairperson)
The Reverend Vincent Waterman
Father Waterman is Archbishop in the African Orthodox Church. Originally from Barbados and formerly of New York City, Father Waterman has served as pastor at St. Philips African Orthodox Church since 1983. Extremely active in the community and having served on many Boards, he and his wife, Isabel, live and minister in Whitney Pier, Sydney, Nova Scotia. He has served on the EPIC Board since its inception in 1996.
Director of Programs (Vice-Chairperson)
Janet Robinson
Janet is Employment Counsellor at the Ann Terry Project in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She has a wealth of community-based career and volunteer experience. At the Ann Terry Project, she counsels women with challenges to increase the likelihood of their finding gainful employment. She was welcomed onto the EPIC board in the summer of 2005.
Director of Finance (Treasurer)
Barry Waldman
Barry is the visionary and founder of EPIC and also serves as Supervisor of its programs. He holds a bachelor’s of education and a master’s in educational administration and works as Educational Consultant to the Eskasoni First Nations School Board. He was made a member of the Executive in the spring of 2007.
Director of Communications (Secretary)
Nancy S. M. Waldman
Nancy is a writer and retired RN with a master’s in nursing. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cape Breton Mental Health Association and previously served as Board Chair of Touch on Wood, a service for adults with mental illness. She has been a volunteer with EPIC since 2000 and became a member of the Board in the spring of 2007.
