Committee member bios

Crystal Bona, NSCAD’s Manager of Registrarial Services, is passionate about building consensus among stakeholders while consistently ensuring that student interests are the primary focus of all decisions made. A graduate of both Queen’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University, Crystal has worked in post-secondary administration for 14 years and has supported students through all stages of their academic journey. She has worked at both NSCAD University and Dalhousie University in various student and faculty support roles, including admissions, academic and registrarial services, and convocation planning. A passionate reader and emerging writer, Crystal has had a short story published in The Antigonish Review.

Dr. Marco Chiarot is a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon with degrees in both medicine and dentistry, and a member of NSCAD’s Board of Governors. Dr. Chiarot is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He is involved in organized dentistry serving on committees for the Nova Scotia Dental Association and is a member of the Prescription Monitoring Board of Nova Scotia.

Dr. Chiarot received his dental degree from Dalhousie University in 1993 and then went on to study hospital dentistry at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and then on to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to complete an internship in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Returning to Halifax and Dalhousie University in 1995, he completed a six-year residency in the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. During his specialty training, he also completed a Master of Science degree in oral and maxillofacial sciences and his medical degree. After completing his specialty training, Dr. Chiarot left Canada to study head and neck cancer surgery and cleft lip and palate surgery at the San Paolo Hospital in Milan, Italy. He enjoys recreational sporting activities and is a member of the Italian Wines Societie and the Commanderie de Bordeaux. He lives in Halifax with his wife and two daughters.

Bruce DeBaie serves NSCAD as Chief of Staff in the President’s Office. He’s a natural broker for collaboration with more than 25 years of diverse experience in community engagement, public relations and corporate communications leadership roles in the private and public sectors. Bruce helps advance the president’s leadership agenda through effective planning and relationships with NSCAD’s leadership team and departments across the university while providing oversight of executive and risk communications, government relations and operations of the President’s Office and board of governors support. He holds a Bachelor of Public Relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Leanne Dowe, NSCAD’s Chief Financial Officer, is a chartered professional accountant (CPA, CA) with more than 30 years of experience as a finance professional including serving as CFO for Gammon Gold and director of finance for both the Arts Club Theatre Society and Forefront Entertainment Group. As CFO, Leanne provides strategic financial and risk management of the university and serves as an executive resource to NSCAD’s Board of Governors including the Finance and Physical Resources Committee, and Audit and Risk Committee. She is also a board member and executive committee member of Atlantic Universities’ Interuniversity Services Incorporated. Leanne holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, NS.

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