Board of Directors
The St. John's Board of Trade is led by an enthusiastic volunteer Board of Directors, who represent the interests of local business. Our Board of Directors consists of 14 members along with our CEO as Ex-Officio.
Kevin Casey
Chair
Kevin graduated with a blistering 67% average from Memorial University of NL with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1992. Upon graduation he smartened up and spent six years with M5 Advertising followed by four years as Director of Marketing and Sales with Labatt Breweries (Atlantic Canada).
In late 2001, Kevin Co-founded the IDEA Factory with Ed Roche. Together, with their team, their agency has been named Progress Marketer of the Year, received the Business Excellence Award from the St. John’s Board of Trade and in 2011 Kevin was named as one of the Top 50 CEO’s in Atlantic Canada.
In April 2016, Kevin decided to step away from his day-to-day role with the IDEA Factory and joined Cal LeGrow as Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing as they embarked on a growth strategy in Atlantic Canada. In September 2018, Jeff LeGrow and Rod Vatcher welcomed Kevin as the newest shareholder and partner with Cal LeGrow.
He is a Paul Harris Fellowship award winner from Rotary International, has kissed Richard Simmons all in the name of raising money for breast cancer and through the Toy Factory has helped donated almost $500,000 to much needed causes in Newfoundland and Labrador. His passion for community investment is now fueled by the Cal LeGrow Foundation with a plan to raise $1,000,000 (the current scoreboard is $260,000 and growing).
He lives in St. John’s with his wife Linda and daughter Olivia and when he isn’t driving sales and marketing agenda’s you’ll find him somewhere near a tennis court biting his nails watching Olivia compete in a sport he failed miserably as a kid and continues to fail at as an adult.
Byron Chubbs
Vice Chair
Byron Chubbs is Vice President, Engineering and Energy Supply, for Newfoundland Power Inc., a company that has proudly served the people of our province for 135 years. Byron is responsible for energy supply, system planning, engineering and information technology. He also has corporate responsibility for inclusion and diversity.
Byron joined Newfoundland Power in 2006, holding progressively senior roles including Director, Eastern Region, and Director, Operations Technology. In 2016, he joined our sister company, Maritime Electric, as Vice President, Customer Service, with responsibility for transmission and distribution operations, safety, customer service and communications. Byron rejoined Newfoundland Power in 2018 in his current role, with a focus on innovation and sustainability in the electricity sector.
Byron is from St. Lewis in Labrador and holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has completed the Advanced Leadership Program at Memorial’s Gardiner Institute. Byron is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland & Labrador. Byron also serves on the Electricity Canada Distribution Council and Memorial University’s Electrical & Computer Engineering Industry Advisory Council.
He lives in Paradise with his wife, Charlene, and two sons Daniel and Gregory.
Anna Cook
Second Vice Chair
Anna is a partner in the St. John’s office of Cox & Palmer. Anna’s keen insight into the needs of the local business community can be attributed to her professional and volunteer experience.
Anna has been growing an extensive and dynamic law practice for twenty years, advising a broad and diverse group of this province’s business community in all areas of business law and in all sectors of the province’s economy. She is known for strategic, practical, experience-based advice and her approachable, solution-focused style. She is a trusted business advisor who is dedicated to our community and the businesses that operate within it.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Anna volunteers her time and expertise to many organizations that fuel and strengthen our city. She has served on numerous boards and committees including the Newfoundland & Labrador Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the Newfoundland & Labrador Employers’ Council, Enactus Memorial (formerly SIFE Memorial), the St. John’s Boys & Girls Club, and the Eating Disorder Foundation of Newfoundland & Labrador. She is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board for Opera on the Avalon. Anna is also an active member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE), as a regular contributor to The Advisor and as a past conference presenter, Anna uses her knowledge and experience to help women entrepreneurs start, grow, or sell their business.
Outside of the practice of law and her board and committee work, Anna is passionate about rowing and the Royal St. John’s Regatta, where she has been training and rowing competitively for several years. She lives in St. John’s with her husband, two busy daughters, and her two golden doodles.
Alex Gibson
Immediate Past Chair
Alex’s passion is building teams and bringing out the best in people by providing them with career and professional growth opportunities. Alex is a Human Resources Advisor at Pennecon, a Newfoundland and Labrador grown business specializing in construction, services & maintenance, and offshore marine logistics. He supports their growth across the nationally and internationally with a focus on recruitment, employee engagement, and potential equity, diversity, and inclusion opportunities.
Alex is a Newfoundland and Labradorian by choice. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, he opted to pursue a challenge and an adventure, and chose Memorial University for his post-secondary. While there he fell in love with the people and charm that this province holds and decided to stay.
Alex is a Memorial University Commerce graduate, Chartered Professional in Human Resources designation holder, Registered Professional Recruiter, and is convocating with his Master’s in Industrial Relations from Queen’s University this spring.
Outside of his work life, and outside of the SJBOT, he’s involved with other volunteer groups and associations, he recently finished a term with the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources NL as their Director of Communications and is currently serving on the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists NL as a Ministerial Appointee.
Geoff Spencer
Secretary
Geoff is the Office Lead Partner in McInnes Cooper’s St. John’s office. As a regional leader, Geoff oversees many of the firm’s business activities and community involvement. Geoff is a proud supporter of the McInnes Cooper “Start up” program, which lowers the barriers to legal assistance for budding entrepreneurs in our community and he frequently attends and supports local start up events with the firm.
Geoff has a well-respected corporate/commercial practice that focuses on commercial financings and secured transactions. He manages a commercial litigation practice as well, where he provides advice to creditors and trustees/receivers on issues involving commercial insolvencies and related litigation. Geoff also has significant experience dealing with commercial fishery matters and has appeared in all levels of court in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Geoff’s work has received the attention of major legal publications in Canada. He is listed in the 2019 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and has been recognized by Best Lawyers™ in Canada for his practice in Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Transportation Law. He was also named the Best Lawyers® 2020, 2018 and 2014 Insolvency and Financial Restructuring “Lawyer of the Year” in St. John’s.
Geoff is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and he is past chair of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency section. He is also a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and a presenter at the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar Admission Course.
Geoff has experience serving on various boards, including the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, where he was appointed to the Executive and served as President in 2007-2008, and CALOS Youth Orchestras Inc. (formerly Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra), where he was appointed to the Executive and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors.
Tarah Schulz
Treasurer
Tarah is Audit Partner with Deloitte LLP with over 16 years of experience in the Power, Utilities & Renewables (PU&R) industry. She holds several degrees and professional certifications including BBA – Accounting, University of Cincinnati; MS – Accounting, University of Cincinnati; CPA – Certified Public Accountant, Ohio; and CPA – Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, Tarah has extensive experience providing audit services to a wide variety of publicly held clients in the PU&R industry in the United States of America and Canada. Her areas of expertise include regulatory accounting, internal controls, securities reporting requirements, and audits of publicly listed entities.
AnnMarie Boudreau
Ex-Officio and CEO
As CEO, AnnMarie is dedicated to working alongside the St. John’s Board of Trade team and Board of Directors to provide guidance, support, and solutions to members. Throughout her career, AnnMarie has worked with the region’s largest and often most complex organizations to help shape their vision, build meaningful relationships, establish connections with stakeholders, and achieve their business objectives. She channels her depth of experience in strategic marketing and communications into her role as CEO and comes to work every day focused on helping to ensure businesses in our city can grow, evolve, and thrive.
Sarah Halliday
Director
Sarah has spent her whole career in Business Development, Sales & Marketing for over 15 years. She is the Business Development & Sustainability Manager at Heave Away Waste Management, a 100% locally owned and operated waste solutions company in NL. Since Heave Away’s inception in 2019, Sarah has been responsible for creating and managing client relations, developing the brand & messaging, and developing the strategic direction of the company.
Sarah has served as President of the Business Association of NL, has received multiple Top Sales & Manger Awards, and has been involved with various Boards including the Victoria Park Foundation. Her passion for creating impactful brands, messaging & communications, combined with growing local businesses, has fueled Sarah’s professional career. She brings an energy of enthusiasm and positivity to every team she is part of and believes collaboration and teamwork is the only way to achieve success.
Sarah loves to live life in St. John’s with her husband, Dave and their fur-babes, Sadie the Golden Retriever and tabby cats, Harry & Marv. In her spare time, you can find Sarah and Dave, along with Sarah’s sister, Jen performing music at many events with their band, The Hallidays.
Kate Vallis
Director
As Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Piatto, Kate is a fervent champion of small business, community building, and local economic development.
Since its inception, Kate has worked diligently to adapt and grow the Piatto brand into 6 locations across Canada and develop new product lines in the face of unique challenges, not the least of which being the onset of COVID-19 and its detrimental effect on the hospitality industry. A proven solutions-seeker, Kate sees each challenge and obstacle as a new opportunity to pivot and progress.
Kate is a passionate advocate for local business, lobbying and working with community stakeholders persistently to meaningfully improve the downtown core and create long term strategic goals for shared economic benefit therein. Through community engagement and volunteering her time with programs like Futurpreneur, Kate seeks to share her knowledge and networks with other local businesses to increase their productivity and resilience.
When she’s not working or volunteering, Kate enjoys fitness, friendship, and most importantly, family.
Craig Ralph
Director
St. John’s native Craig Ralph is General Manager of Avalon Laboratories.
He has spent most of his career in business development, sales, and marketing employed by global companies in eastern and western Canada. As a consultant, Craig has worked for numerous high-profile companies in Newfoundland & Labrador in the oil & gas, engineering, and sports & entertainment.
Craig has served on the boards of NOIA, the Oilfield Technical Society, the Transportation Club of St John’s, Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association, Special Olympics and more.
He holds diplomas in business management and criminology.
A proud father and husband, Craig and Jackie are raising a blended family of 5 children. When not busy at home with family and at work, Craig’s interests include sports, coaching kids, and living the life of a rock star!
Karen Winsor
Director
Karen has worked for over twenty years in the energy industry, focusing on strategic management, business operations, quality, and customer delivery. As Chief Operating Officer, she is responsible for the continued growth of the following companies: Atlantic XL, Additive XL, and iEAS XL here in Canada, as well as Caribbean XL in Guyana, and is also part of the management team of XL Global Group in Aberdeen, UK.
Karen has worked on several boards and continues to look for opportunities to use that experience and education. In 2022, she finished her tenure with EnergyNL where she served four years as director and three years on Executive as Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair. In 2021, she was Co-Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industry Task Force, which was mandated to review ways to innovate the industry, as well as create an energy transition roadmap. Karen also sits on the board of Atlantic XL, Tampnet Canada, and Nalcor’s Bull Arm Fabrication Facility. She is part of the 2025 Canada Games Governance Committee, and recently finished her term with the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation board.
Karen graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) at Memorial University, and Strategic Management at Oslo’s Norwegian School of Management. Most recently, she completed the Directors Education Program at the Institute of Corporate Directors, also obtaining her Director designation.
Constanza Safatle
Director
Constanza Safatle, a passionate entrepreneur and advocate, epitomizes the intersection of business acumen and social impact, driven by a profound commitment to empowering newcomers and fostering positive change.
As the Founder and CEO of Newbornlander, she has pioneered a successful for-profit social enterprise, blending quality craftsmanship with a mission to provide employment opportunities and empowerment for newcomer women through sewing training and mentorship. Constanza's strategic leadership has propelled Newbornlander's expansion, securing distribution across six provinces and attracting attention on platforms like CBC's "Dragons' Den," where her pitch showcased her visionary approach and sought partnerships for accelerated growth.
Beyond her entrepreneurial endeavors, Constanza's impact reverberates through her role as Executive Director of Taskforce NL, where she spearheaded initiatives to integrate skilled newcomers into the workforce, driving economic growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her remarkable achievements have been recognized through numerous awards, including the NLOWE Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the ANC Bridget Foster Cultural Business Icon award, highlighting her influential advocacy and commitment to removing barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs and Tales of Triumph by Canada Post.
Committed to philanthropy and community engagement, Constanza actively mentors newcomer women, supports immigrant entrepreneurship programs, and volunteers for causes promoting social inclusion, embodying a multifaceted leadership grounded in entrepreneurship, social impact, and unwavering dedication to creating a more equitable and compassionate society.
Steve Clark
Director
Steve is the Chief Operating Officer with the locally owned and operated Baine Johnston Corp.—one of the longest-standing businesses in our province. His role includes overseeing and leading the various subsidiary businesses, including Leon’s and Baine Johnston Properties.
He has spent his career in operations and is driven by identifying opportunities, developing, executing and delivering plans, and then taking time to celebrate success. He has worked in many industries from health, IT, data & telecommunications, research & development, legal, professional services, retail, commercial property, marine, and more. Steve was previously the COO with Cox & Palmer, President & CEO with the NL Centre for Health Information, and served in other executive and financial leadership roles in the technology and engineering sectors over his career.
Steve has volunteered on other Boards and currently sits on the Board for the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland & Labrador.
He is a Chartered Professional Accountant, completed a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts Degree (Economics & Business). He holds the Project Management Professional designation and the Director’s designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
He lives in St. John’s with his wife Heidi, and daughter Julia.
