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Staff


Margaret Magner, Ph.D, M.A., M.P.W.

Chief Executive Officer

Margaret Magner is Chief Executive Officer of the PEI Business Women’s Association. She has taught in Canadian and U.S. universities and held a number of positions, including Director of Development for the William J. Clinton Foundation; Presidential Speechwriter, Development Communications Senior Writer, and Corporate Relations Director at the University of Southern California; and Director of Bioscience Development at UPEI, where she continues to teach for the Faculty of Business and Department of English. Her company Magner Ink specializes in communication services. She is a Governor of the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2022, she was recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business in Atlantic Canada by Atlantic Business Magazine

margaret@peibwa.org


Shelley Jessop

DIRECTOR, RURAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS CENTRE

Shelley is the Director of PEIBWA's Rural Women's Business Centre, opening the Centre in 2019 and introducing co-working space and a unique line of incubator programming that continues to be delivered from the Centre. She delivers 1-1 business advisory services throughout PEI and supports strategic planning, communications, and business development across the three PEIBWA sites. Her roots are in the energy sector leading a technical department for a multi-national company. For the past 10+ years she has been working in career and employment services, guiding individuals with achieving their career goals - including the path to self-employment. A lifelong entrepreneur herself, Shelley has started and grown multiple businesses. Team leadership, building community partnerships, and program design and implementation are her areas of expertise. Passionate about advocating for underrepresented groups, Shelley believes in strong communities of support as being fundamental to achieving business success.

shelley@peibwa.org


Rose Fitzpatrick

PEI Coordinator, Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership (ACWGPP)

Rose Fitzpatrick joined PEIBWA in 2020 as PEI Coordinator for the Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership Project - a three-year initiative funded through the Federal Government’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy to address gaps and build capacity in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for women across Atlantic Canada. Rose has more than twenty-five years experience in project and event management, along with a strong background in communications, marketing, business development, and community relations. She’s held various positions within private sector, government, and not-for-profit organizations - working within the IT, media, film & television, tourism, and biotechnology industries. She’s led several pan-Atlantic business building missions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Prior to her current role, she was manager of marketing and communications for the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance.

rose@peibwa.org


Heather Nicholson

COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS OFFICER

Heather is an accomplished marketing and communications professional. She has 26 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors, including 22 years at Bell and its affiliates priming national marketing campaigns. Two things Heather loves - working on projects that are meaningful and living in PEI. That’s why she is thrilled to be at PEIBWA where she can roll up her sleeves and contribute to an organization that supports PEI women in business.

heather@peibwa.org