Shirley Ann was raised in Saskatchewan, where as a young mom of twins, she completed a Bachelor of Commerce Program, majoring in Health Care Administration.  She worked as a consultant with the provincial government and community-based organizations in the areas of poverty, mental health, intellectual disability and emergency medical services.

Shirley Ann received her Masters in Adult Education from UNB Fredericton in New Brunswick, and shortly after, she and her family moved to Nova Scotia where Shirley Ann held leadership roles in the areas of dementia, injury prevention and health promotion.

With more than a dozen years of experience as an Executive Director for impact organizations, Shirley Ann’s experience is diverse.  The connecting theme throughout is her passion to collaborate to create solutions to challenges, improve the lives of individuals and strengthen the communities in which they live. 

Shirley Ann is a mom of three, step-mom of four and grandmother of three. She lives with her husband John in Wolfville. Having spent the past 18 months in rural Italy, she brings a broadened perspective of aging "well" in place.