What is TSE?

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Tom Dalmazzi, A graduate of Acadia University’s Recreation Management program (2012), Tom has spent the past 15 years working in the community economic development field across Atlantic Canada. He spent over a decade with the Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre, where he facilitated strategic planning for dozens of organizations, designed and delivered entrepreneurial programming for students, taught for-credit strategic planning courses in the Community Development program, and served as faculty advisor to Acadia’s Enactus team, earning national recognition as the John Dobson Faculty Advisor of the Year in 2018. Along the way, he also led entrepreneurship camps for Indigenous youth in Alberta.

More recently, Tom has worked as an Associate and Project Lead with Third Sector Enhancement for the past three years where he has continued delivering strategic planning processes for organizations, while also playing a key secretariat role with the Atlantic Indigenous Development Initiative (AIDI), helping advance regional collaboration and economic reconciliation.

Tom lives on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, is an avid memorabilia collector, and can often be found keeping up with his energetic golden retriever, Teddy.

Marsha Fanning, MBA, CPA, CMA, CAEd has worked with organizations in various areas, including strategy, business planning, accounting, risk, and employee engagement. She possesses a

management philosophy based on a human-centred approach. She leads and facilitates with the goal of opening peoples minds to the value

of collaboration and the wealth that perspectives bring to organizations.

She helps people see the importance of seeking multiple perspectives and the richness

it can bring to their efforts. She has worked in public and private companies in roles that range from making curls on ice cream cones to taking a seat at an executive table. After a 20-year career with Sobeys and the NSLC, Marsha is now a consultant, facilitator, educator, and community volunteer.  

Marsha lives in St. Margaret’s Bay with her husband Brian and sons Colin and Myles. Marsha and Brian operate an artistic woodworking company and sell their creations at the “Hags on the Hill” in Peggy’s

Cove. She is a constant volunteer in the community.

Gary Morton is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Agriculture College and the University of Guelph. He has worked for over 40 years in the agriculture & agri-food industry helping entrepreneurs, businesses, farmers, processors, & organizations find new value, direction, opportunity, and profit from what they do.  His extensive travel and work experience in all sectors when combined with his practical experience in private industry, government and as a consulting entrepreneur, give him unparalleled confidence when working on projects.  

He is a recognized authority in the areas of business management, business and strategic planning, marketing, and value-added product development.  He has coached, mentored, and guided hundreds of entrepreneurs on the journey from idea to viable business opportunity.  Leadership positions have included the chair of the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee, a Director of Canadian Farm Business Management Council, Co-chair of the Nova Scotia Farm Management Institute, and a team member of the Annapolis Valley Farmland Trust.

Lisa McMinn joined the TSE team in 2023 after completing a co-op term with Tom through the Acadia Entrepreneurship centre in 2022. Lisa is a graduate from the Community Development and Environment and Sustainability Studies Program (2023) and is passionate about community engagement, sustainability, and small business entrepreneurship. 

Lisa is responsible for research, survey creation and project graphic design. She is currently working part-time while completing a master’s degree of Coastal and Marine Management at the University of Westfjords, Iceland.

Lisa has been involved in a few community projects based in Wolfville, NS throughout her degree at Acadia University, including a Community Soup Event with the Wolfville Farmer’s Market to promote food security in the Wolfville area, working with youth at the Town of Wolfville Afterschool Program and working in the position of Acadia Community Farm Education Coordinator after graduation.

Lisa enjoys gardening, reading, hiking, swimming, and spending time with friends and family when not working.

Emily Sollows works as the marketing and communications consultant with TSE, She co-owns Lemonade Communications, dedicated to helping nonprofit and community sector organizations with marketing and communications. 

Emily has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University, a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King's College, and a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Mount St. Vincent University. She has over 10 years of experience working in communications in the nonprofit sector, and loves helping organizations and businesses connect with their audiences. 

Emily lives in Martin's River, NS and enjoys sailing, cold dipping, gardening and reading. 

Shirlanne Pawley-Boyd is seasoned fundraising executive with more than 30 years of experience, she has built a distinguished career securing transformational support across the health care, post-secondary education, and arts and culture sectors. Her professional experience includes leadership roles with United Way of Peterborough & District, United Way of the Lower Mainland, BC Children's Hospital Foundation, Fleming College, Trent University, and the Canadian Canoe Museum. Throughout her career, she has advanced organizational growth and sustainability by leveraging deep expertise in donor engagement, campaign strategy, and philanthropic leadership.

Known for her strength in communications, stakeholder relations, and strategic partnerships, she brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to every initiative. For the past five years, she has worked with a boutique consulting firm, partnering with clients to plan and implement successful capital campaigns. She excels at cultivating meaningful relationships, aligning diverse interests, and positioning organizations to achieve ambitious goals through compelling cases for investment and effective partnership development.

Chris and Andy have worked together for decades, and have lots of stories of their times together! Andy Horsnell Consulting brings an invaluable layer of knowledge on social enterprise activities, and on community entrepreneurship in general.