Honorary Degree: John S. Fitzpatrick
John S. Fitzpatrick
John S. Fitzpatrick, Q.C. is a senior partner at BOYNECLARKE LLP. Over his 30 year legal career, John has been a committed volunteer for a myriad of community and professional organizations, who have benefited from his energy and commitment.
John graduated with a BA in Political Science from Saint Mary’s University and an LLB from Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law.
For John, Saint Mary’s University has always been close to his heart. John has served on the Board of Governors for 20 years, with eight years as Chair and Vice-Chair. John served on and chaired, a multitude of Board committees. He was a member of the Hearts and Minds Campaign Cabinet. He also chaired the 2015 Presidential Search Committee. In recognition of his commitment to students, he was awarded an honorary “Gold M” by the Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association.
A tireless advocate for literacy causes, John is the past Chair and Co-Chair of several Peter Gzowski Golf Tournaments for Literacy. For ten years, John served on the Board of Directors and Executive of ABC Canada Literacy Foundation (now ABC Life Literacy) in Toronto.
For more than 20 years, John has been actively involved in politics, having served as a regional chair for Federal and Provincial leadership and election campaigns and as past president and executive member of Federal and Provincial riding associations.
In recognition of his volunteerism John has received the Canada 125 Medal, the Peter Gzowski Award, and the Canadian Bar Association Community Service Award. He is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Appointed Queens Counsel in 2008, John’s distinguished career in law has been recognized by the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association and the Schulich School of Law, as a recipient of the Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service and as an inductee into the Bertha Wilson Honor Society. Since 2012, John has been selected by his peers to be included in “Best Lawyers in Canada”.
He is currently a member of the National Board of Directors for World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Halifax International Airport Authority. He is also a member of the advisory committee for Queens Counsel Appointments.
John resides in Halifax with his wife Heather, and their three children Laura, Jennifer and Andrew. John’s father, Ed, is a proud 1953 Saint Mary’s graduate.
Honorary Degree: Dr. Donald M. Julien, C.M., O.N.S., DCL, DHumL
Dr. Donald M. Julien
Dr. Donald Julien is a Mi’kmaw Historian, Human Rights Advocate, and Leader. With over 40 years of experience researching and documenting Mi’kmaw history, Donald shares his knowledge and experiences through speaking engagements, University Lectures, and research papers. His lifelong advocacy has also helped to preserve important archaeological sites in Nova Scotia. No matter the topic, Donald brings a well-grounded, informed, and unique Mi’kmaw perspective to current issues.
Donald has 30 years of experience with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and has held the position of Executive Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq since 1994. Donald is a member of both the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia. He has earned the United Nations Peace Keeping Medal (Cyprus), the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medals. He has received two Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Civil Laws and Humane Letters Acadia University and Mount St. Vincent Universities respectively.
Donald is a peace time veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, has served with the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, in both the Second Battalion in Calgary, and with the First Battalion in Esquimalt, and has served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Tour in Cyprus. Donald is presently serving on Community Liaison Advisory Committee for Maritime Command for the Admiral of Canadian Navy. He has been an Advisor to the Commissioners of the RCMP and the Advisor to the Auditor General of Canada on First Nations Issues.
In 2012, he donned the Canadian Army uniform once again becoming the third Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of 3 Intelligence Company at the very same location where he signed on 45 years earlier. In 2016, he was appointed Full Colonel to 5th CDTC, Gagetown N.B., for another three year term as the first honorary colonel to a Canadian Army Training Centre in Canada
Donald is a family man, and currently lives in Truro, Nova Scotia along with his wife Diane and four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In his spare time Donald is a sports enthusiast, an avid golfer and enjoys reading and researching history.
Honorary Degree: Dr. Joseph Jabbra
Dr. Joseph Jabbra
Dr. Joseph Jabbra has played a prominent role in higher education and accreditation in Atlantic Canada and the United States for decades.
Currently the President of the Lebanese American University, Dr. Jabbra has served in this capacity since 2004. He has also served as Vice President of Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles. He is well remembered at Saint Mary’s University as both an active member of the Political Science Department and as the Vice President, Academic and Research from 1980 to 1990.
During his time at LMU and SMU, Dr. Jabbra gained profound experience in academic administration. He served on and chaired over 100 academic committees and boards, ranging from academic senates to boards of trustees. At both universities, Dr. Jabbra was fully engaged in strategic planning and fundraising.
In Canada, he played a major role in the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC), which accredits university and college programs in the three Canadian Maritime Provinces. In the United States, he was very active in the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a leading U.S. accrediting commission. He always participated vigorously in the revision of accreditation standards and served on accreditation visits for many institutions. He also was active in the accreditation of American law schools for the American Bar Association (ABA).
Dr. Jabbra earned his law degree at the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
He is the author, co-author, and co-editor of 12 books. The latest, Public Administration in Transition, was recently published in London, England. He has also published over 33 articles and chapters in books and scholarly journals, over 26 book reviews in both English and French, and scores of scholarly papers and keynote addresses given at society meetings and professional gatherings.
Honorary Degree: J. William (Bill) Ritchie
J. William (Bill) Ritchie
Born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, J. William (Bill) Ritchie has raised millions of dollars for governments, businesses, charitable institutions and individuals over a nearly six decade-long career in the investment industry. He has also mentored and assisted many start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs during his career.
In 1951, Mr. Ritchie received his BSc (Agr.) from McGill University (Macdonald College) specializing in economics. After his graduation he joined a leading investment firm, A.E. Ames & Co. Limited, where he spent four years being trained in the art of finance. From there he and a partner acquired a small firm in Fredericton, which was later sold to Eastern Securities Co. Limited of Saint John. That firm transferred Mr. Ritchie to Halifax in 1958, where he managed their operations until resigning in 1963 to acquire Scotia Bond Company Limited with a silent partner.
From a relatively modest beginning with only one salesman and two assistants, Mr. Ritchie grew the company to a total of fifty five employees in four offices. Along the way, the company acquired seats on the Montreal and Toronto Stock Exchanges. The company engaged in both institutional and retail business and acted as a fiscal agent for the Province of Nova Scotia.
During the seventies, Mr. Ritchie worked very closely with Michael Donovan helping him with the establishment of the film industry in Nova Scotia. He was a director of Salter Street Films Limited which was subsequently sold to Alliance Atlantic a leading Canadian film production company of that era. Subsequently Mr. Donovan incorporated DHX Inc. which in twelve years has grown to become a leading owner and provider of children’s television programming with a market capitalization of nearly one billion dollars. Mr. Richie assisted with the financing of that entity and served as a director from inception until his retirement from the board in 2014.
Mr. Ritche has been involved in numerous business ventures over the years including his role as Chairman and CEO of Scotia Bond. He was a founder of Keltic Savings Corporation Limited. He served on over forty boards of directors for various periods of time including over twenty-five years on the boards of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc.
Mr. Ritchie is currently active on the boards of Kivuto Inc., SimplyCast and Morien Resources Inc.
Honorary Degree: Louise Bradley
Louise Bradley
Louise Bradley, MS, RN, CHE, has dedicated her professional life to improving the mental health of Canadians.
Ms. Bradley’s own deeply personal experience with recovery has informed a leadership style that is both compassionate and courageous. Unwavering in her commitment to reimagining a recovery-oriented, person-centred mental health system, Ms. Bradley has influenced improved patient care through large-scale hospital administration and pioneered recovery within a forensics and corrections setting.
An impassioned advocate, Ms. Bradley feels her professional perspective is enriched and authenticated by her lived experience. In her current role as President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), Ms. Bradley oversaw the development of Canada’s first Mental Health Strategy, undertook the signature Opening Minds anti-stigma initiative, and created a globally recognized Knowledge Exchange Centre. A tireless advocate for workplace mental health, Ms. Bradley has overseen the creation of the world’s first workplace psychological safety standard, which has gained international acclaim.
Lauded as a transformational leader by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), Ms. Bradley will receive the 2017 Humanitarian Award for her work to enhance the psychological well-being of Canadians. Ms. Bradley is also the recipient of the Innovation Award for Health Care Leadership, bestowed by the Canadian College of Health Leaders, as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
She holds degrees from Dalhousie University and Northeastern University in Boston, and is frequently called upon to speak and write nationally and internationally on various mental health topics. Ms. Bradley uses her platform to urge increased mental health funding, and highlight the need to work inclusively to address the mental health needs of vulnerable and at-risk populations.
Ms. Bradley has a passion for nurturing emerging mental health leaders, and prioritizes the mentorship of young champions in the hope of inspiring the next generation of transformational leaders.