OUR TEAM
Executive Director
Richard MacLean
Richard has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Mount Saint Vincent University and a graduate diploma in Mediation, Negotiations, and Conflict Resolution from Saint Mary’s University. For the last 3 years, he has been a provincial government appointee to the Halifax Harbour Bridge Commission.
A retired public-school teacher in Halifax and a world leader and builder in football, Richard is the Past President of the International Federation of American Football, the global governing body for the sport. As President, he has led the restructuring of the Federation, which, under his guidance, gained entry for flag football into the 2022 World Games and positioned the sport for entry into the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
He looks forward to serving the members and leading our organization's next stage of development.
Safety Coordinator
Gary Hunt
In my role as Safety Coordinator with Fish Safe NS, I bring over a decade of experience in Occupational Health & Safety, and twenty-plus years specializing in training. I am also a proud retired volunteer firefighter. I 100% believe in life-long learning, and I truly look forward to learning new things each and every day.
I enjoy sharing my learned and acquired safety knowledge with employees and employers alike. My unique gift is to break down difficult or complicated topics into plain language, thus making understanding and learning more practical and enjoyable.
I take pride in creating a relaxed atmosphere for training participants, and I encourage the exchange of knowledge, along with hands-on applications. All with the goal of providing students with current best practices, regulations, and data for positive training outcomes along and having fun while you learn
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I enjoy helping people learn things they don’t know or understand. One of my favourite expressions is “we don’t know what we don’t know”, and that’s okay. We are all in that same boat with many topics in our work life at one point or another. I am looking forward to assisting Nova Scotia’s Seafood Industry in all things safety-related.
Member Services Coordinator
Courtney Thomas
Courtney grew up in the fishing community of Port Maitland, Nova Scotia, where she developed a strong connection to the marine industry from an early age. After spending several years working in both the hospitality and airline industries, she returned home in 2020 and began lobster fishing alongside her father.
Over the past six years, Courtney has worked aboard a variety of vessels in both commercial fishing and fisheries research roles, gaining extensive hands-on experience on the water. She currently holds a Fishing Master IV certification, Radio Operator’s Certificate, Marine Emergency Duties (MED) training, Advanced First Aid, and a range of additional industry certifications.
Today, Courtney lives in the coastal fishing community of Barrington with her partner and their two-year-old son. She is passionate about promoting safety, professionalism, and continued learning within Nova Scotia’s fishing industry while balancing the rewarding challenges of both a maritime career and family life.