Meet the Board

Rae Ann Bonneville
President

Rae and her husband, Alan Wall, moved to the South Shore from Calgary in 2019 and brought their long-established design company, Stone Court Studios Inc. with them, specializing in 3D animation, graphic design and writing mainly for the industrial sector. One of the first things they did was join the Chamber. Supporting the local business community has always been important to them.

Rae and Alan live on Burn’s Cove in Upper LaHave and enjoy a peaceful life on the river with acreage and a recently built studio – the perfect creative space for their work, photography, music, recording and social events.

pres@bridgewaterchamber.com

Jayme Rhyno
Vice President

Jayme is a second-generation owner of Rhyno's on North Street which was established in 1976 by his father. He started working in the family business at a young age (the family jokes that he was fixing dishwashers before he could talk), officially taking over as President in 2008. He holds a Red Seal in Refrigeration (since 2006) and is a volunteer firefighter with the Northfield Fire Department (since 2003).

Jayme has lived on the South Shore all his life and currently resides in West LaHave. He is very much committed to Bridgewater being a hub for the business community – a place where local businesses feel supported and can thrive.

Shawn Patterson
Past President

Shawn Patterson is the Sales & Marketing Manager at Rhyno's. He is passionate about supporting local businesses and held the position of Provincial Sales Manager at the Chronicle Herald before joining Rhyno's.

Previously, Shawn spent 12 years working in social services with a focus on mental health and counselling. Shawn also has a strong sense of community and currently volunteers with South Shore Minor Hockey. He's been involved with the Chamber for several years, and is a Past President.

Shaan Kamboj
Treasurer

Shaan moved to Bridgewater in 2021, lured to South Shore’s beautiful landscape and local life. Coming from a diverse professional background, he holds a degree in Economics and Accounting. He migrated to Architectural Technology to expand his educational & professional portfolio landing a prestigious opportunity to work for the federal government.

Shaan is fond of collaborating with community’s locals and shows support for small businesses. His interest in diversifying local infrastructure and becoming integral with the community sparked his involvement with the Chamber. He currently works with O’Regan’s South Shore.

Shaan lives in Wileville with his family. Outside of work he has a knack for cooking and exploring the area’s serene surroundings and trails with his dogs.

Jill Cooper
Executive Director

Jill Cooper is a professional artist and long-time entrepreneur, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Computers from Memorial University of Newfoundland and both a Master’s and Bachelor of Architecture from Dalhousie University.

With 15 years of experience as a freelance set designer for television in Toronto and seven years as the owner of a custom frame shop and art gallery in Chicago, she brings a wealth of creative and business expertise.

Over the past seven years, you may have seen Jill and her vibrant art of women and waves at various shows and events in Bridgewater, along the South Shore, and Halifax.

Now settled in Bridgewater with her husband, young daughter, and pets, she is passionate about fostering local businesses and contributing to the community's growth and success.

info@bridgewaterchamber.com

BOARD MEMBERS

Debra Porter

Debra was born and raised in the Annapolis Valley, and is the youngest of 15 children. She has been in Real Estate for over 27 years, covering the South Shore and the Valley (sometimes Halifax) and has lived in Bridgewater for 13 years where she has a permanent office on King St.

Debra values the lasting relationships she has built with clients and enjoys interacting with people, helping them find their dream home. She also co-owns Complete Driving with partner Mark Pearson. The driver training business allows her to see people of all ages achieve their goals.

Cheryl Fougere

Cheryl has called Bridgewater home for the past 23 years with her husband and two teenaged children. She is honoured to be serving a 2nd term on Town Council and is excited to be working with a great council team and mayor.

Her educational background is Financial Services with fifteen years in banking and mortgage lending. She decided about a year ago to change her career path and is currently enrolled in courses through UBC, working towards her real estate appraiser designation. In her free time, Cheryl enjoys volunteering in the community, gym workouts at the YMCA, and walking her dog through the trails and parks in town.

“Believe in YOURSELF and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is GREATER than any obstacle.”

Joel Westin

Joel moved back to the South Shore and Lunenburg in the fall of 2021 and is now the President and owner of Bridgewater Ready Mix, after pivoting to become a concrete producer following a successful career in telecoms. He is passionate about the climate and holds a P.Eng. in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, and an Executive MBA in Information Technology from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Joel is a board member of the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia and the Navy League of Canada – Lunenburg branch and is the Chair for the Atlantic Concrete Association Environmental Committee.

Kimberly Amos

Kimberly runs Beeline Content Creation from her home in Bridgewater. She provides marketing and design services supporting businesses big and small across Canada.

Kimberly spent a decade working in Marketing at RBC's Toronto headquarters before moving to the South Shore in 2018. She’s a lifelong learner with curiosity, experience and education in a wide variety of industries and subjects.

Kimberly likes to explore the South Shore alongside her 5-year-old daughter Seneca and 3-year-old son Arlo. Together, they’ve found great businesses, fun events, and a few dodgy backroads that should not have been included on GPS.

Joey Richard

Joey is the owner of La Casetta, a favourite Italian restaurant in Bridgewater.

Siena Cusack
Student Board Member

Siena Cusick is a Grade 11 student at Centre Scolaire de la Rive-Sud and aspires to pursue a career in law.

Jenevieve McRorie
Student Board Member

Jenevieve is a grade 12 student at Centre Scolaire de la Rive Sud.

Jada Ann Davis

Jada is a first year student at MSVU ( Mount Saint Vincent University) studying a BA with a major in political studies.

She took interest in the board last year when student positions were added. Since then she has moved into her own seat, and looks forward to learning even more about our developing business community.

Jada is very passionate about community change and development, and hopes she can continue to have positive impact on the community.

Rita Caissie

Rita Caissie is the plant manager of the Michelin Bridgewater facility for Michelin North America. She has been in manufacturing for over 30 years, working in two countries, at three separate sites. Before coming to Bridgewater, Rita was the plant manager at the Michelin facility located in Ardmore, Oklahoma. She also helped co-develop FUEL – a program designed to help young aspiring leaders discover their potential.

Rita is at her best when developing people to achieve their potential and working with my teams to make progress. “It is up to us, as leaders, to help our people realize what potential they have – and that what they do matters,” she says.

Outside of her professional life, Rita loves the outdoors, and any activity associated with fresh air, family and movement. Admittedly her heart belongs to her grandson and watching him grow. Anytime she can combine these things brings her great joy!

Edgar Bruns

Edgar is our MODL representative on the board. short bio to come.