Library Board

Philip Moscovitch, elected Chair in 2010, is a freelance writer, editor, French-English translator and broadcaster. He is a regular contributor to a range of publications including the Canadian edition of Reader's Digest, and the children's magazine Chickadee, for which he writes the popular Daisy Dreamer comic. He has worked extensively in documentary film, as a writer, researcher, and story editor, and as the National Film Board's marketing manager for Atlantic Canada. Throughout the year, he also conducts school workshops on writing comics for elementary students. Philip's volunteer and board experience includes the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia, serving as the Writers Guild of Canada representative on the board of the Moving Images Group, and chairing the Electronic Rights Defence Committee. He has also previously served as chair of the school advisory council for East St. Margaret's Elementary in Indian Harbour. He lives in Glen Margaret with Sara Lamb and their three children.

Vice-Chair Paul W. Bennett, a Halifax author and the Founding Director of Schoolhouse Consulting, was appointed to the Board in June 2010. Over a career spanning three decades in three different provinces, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, he headed two of Canada's leading independent schools and served as an elected Public School Trustee for the York Region Board of Education (1988-1997). He earned his Ed.D. at the University of Toronto (1991) and has written or co-authored five books and published many articles in both the popular media and the academic press. His latest book is The Grammar School: Striving for Excellence in a Public School World (Halifax: Formac Lorimer Books, 2009). Dr. Bennett is married with two grown children and active in the Halifax Club, the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, and the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia.

Councillor Sue Uteck has represented the residents of Northwest Arm-South End Halifax since winning a by-election in the fall of 1999, after her husband, Deputy Mayor Larry Uteck, resigned due to his struggle with Lou Gehrig's Disease. She was re-elected in October 2000 and again in October 2004. She was elected Deputy Mayor in November 2006. Born in Montreal, Councillor Uteck moved to Halifax to attend St. Mary's University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in English and Criminology. 

Elected to Regional Council in 2007, Councillor Jackie Barkhouse was born and raised in HRM and lived in the Woodside-Eastern Passage area for over 24 years. Councillor Barkhouse has been married to Steven since 1979 and has two children in university. She was an Educational Program Assistant with the Halifax Regional School Board for 15 years before taking a leave of absence to serve as full-time Councillor. She has been involved in her community as a former Beaver Leader and P.T.O. President and volunteered for numerous charitable organizations including United Way, Cancer Society, Arthritis Society, Diabetes Foundation, and Lung Association. Councillor Barkhouse has been very involved in local sports; Eastern Passage/Cow Bay Athletic Association and Eastern Passage Soccer Club for the past 16 years and is an organizer of Soccer by the Sea.

Councillor Peter Lund was elected to Halifax Regional Council in October 2008, representing District 23 Hammonds Plains - St. Margaret's. Peter is a hydrogeologist, business owner and consultant with almost 30 years of experience working with governments and communities. His recent efforts have been on working with the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency and DEVCO. Also involved with the community, Peter has been part of the Sheep’s Head Island Home Owner’s Association, Environmental Services Association of NS (ESANS), the Round Table on Environment and Sustainable Prosperity, the Atlantic Chapter of Auditing Assoc. of Canada (AAC), the WET subcommittee on the Protection of Whynacht's Cove and various Provincial and Federal Riding Associations. Peter grew up in the small valley town of Hantsport, was educated at Acadia University, and has lived in Halifax and Toronto before settling in St. Margaret’s Bay in 1995.

Councillor Jennifer Watts was elected to Halifax Regional Council in October 2008, representing District 14, Connaught-Quinpool.  Born and raised in Halifax, Jennifer is a graduate of Queen Elizabeth High School and Mount Allison University.  Jennifer is an urban and rural planner, trained at the Technical University of Nova Scotia.  Her work experience includes municipal planning projects, leadership development and program planning for the United Church of Canada, and coordination of a research project for the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging.  Jennifer has also worked with immigrant women on job re-entry programs.  She has volunteered with children, youth and adults in schools, recreation programs and community organizations.  Jennifer and her spouse, Richard, have two teenage children.

Roswell James: Roswell graduated from Concordia University in 1979 with a major in Television Production. While at university, he founded and operated Educational Sound Recordings for the Blind, a registered Canadian non-profit organization. In the fall of 1988 Roswell opened Roswell Computer Books based in Montreal. In 1992 he moved the company from Montreal to Halifax. Shortly after opening in Halifax, Roswell pioneered e-commerce in Canada by opening the first retail computer bookstore on the Internet. Roswell served on the board of Directors of Credit Union Atlantic for six years. While on the CUA Board, he served on the audit committee for all six years and was chairman of the Audit committee for five years. He also served as a delegate to Credit Union Central of Nova Scotia meetings. Since 2000, he has been on the Board of Directors of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network. (EDN), and was chairman of the board for 8 years. Since 1995 EDN has provided support, inspiration and networking to serve thousands of people with disabilities turn ideas of owning a business into reality.

João Matwawana, appointed to the Board in 2011, graduated from Acadia University with a Diploma in Ministry before completing his Master of Divinity degree. He moved to the Halifax area 27 years ago when he took on the Prison Chaplaincy job at the Halifax Correctional Centre.  In the 1991, João returned to Africa under appointment by the Canadian Baptist Ministries. where his work focused upon training clergy in conflict management, forgiveness, and reconciliation.  João officially retired in 2000, but has been active as a consultant to Canadian Baptist Ministries in the area of Peace and Reconciliation, and also with Foreign Affairs Canada, in UN-sponsored peace talks in Burundi.  He currently serves as Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care and Visitation at Faith Baptist church in Lower Sackville.  João's efforts have been recognized by several special awards and citations.

Joy Mendleson is a software developer who joined the Library Board in April of 2011. Born in Toronto, Joy enrolled in the co-op Math program at the University of Waterloo. She graduated from university with two degrees, Bachelor of Mathematics and Master of Applied Science (Management Sciences). Residing in Halifax since 1975, she later advanced her IT skills while studying at the Nova Scotia Community College. She has worked at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography and the Department of Fisheries.

Debbie Larter joined the Library Board in December 2011.  She holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Toronto and has spent more than 30 years in the computer support field, most recently with Maritime Life and IBM.  Debbie’s community involvement includes volunteer positions with many organizations such as the Dalhousie University Community Committee (DUCC), CFB Halifax Curling Club and the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.