Our Board of Directors
President, Board Member
Hugh Brown
Hugh Brown was born in Amherst, NS in 1946. He attended Dalhousie University earning his Bachelor of Commerce in 1967 and MBA in 1969. He received his Certified Financial Analysis (CFA) in 1976. He spent his entire career with BMO Capital Markets and predecessor firms working as an investment analyst focused on Canadian financial equities. He was rated the number one Canadian financial sector analyst in many of those years. He retired in 2011 as an Executive Managing Director. For over 25 years Hugh has served as a Director and now consultant to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, a large private Florida-based foundation. He founded the Hugh and Linda Brown Educational Foundation in 2014. He now lives half his year in Nova Scotia and the other half in Mississauga. Hugh is married to Linda Brown and has three children and 7 grandchildren.
Michelle Stewart
Michelle Stewart is a dynamic leader with a diverse background in philanthropy, business, and corporate strategy. As the Executive Director of the Hugh and Linda Brown Educational Foundation, she drives impactful grantmaking and ensures compliance with governance and regulatory requirements. Her expertise in nonprofit management was further honed during her tenure as Foundation Director at Rainbow Songs Foundation, where she significantly increased revenue and spearheaded innovative programs.
In addition to her work in philanthropy, Michelle is the Founder and Owner of Sunset Patterns, a creative venture that brings unique, artistically designed patterns to home décor and lifestyle products. She oversees all aspects of the business, from product development to branding and retail operations, reflecting her lifelong passion for art and design.
Her corporate experience includes roles at GlaxoSmithKline, where she managed product launches, marketing strategies, and business planning for oncology treatments, and at Medcan Health Management, where she led strategic client negotiations.
An active community leader, she has served on multiple nonprofit boards, including as President of My School Co-operative Nursery and Chair of the Communications Committee at Fern Avenue Public School. She holds a Master’s and Honours Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University.
Executive Director, Board Member
Sean Brown
Board Member
Sean Brown is a retired corporate executive. Most recently, Sean was the Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Gibson Energy Inc., a publicly traded midstream company based out of Calgary. In this role, he oversaw the financial management of the company including finance, accounting, tax, treasury and capital market financings as well as corporate planning and development, investor relations and enterprise risk management. Prior to joining Gibson, Sean spent fifteen years in investment banking in Calgary and New York where he provided strategic, financial and capital raising advice to companies in the energy infrastructure sector across North America. When he isn’t working Sean spends time with his family and is an avid skier and endurance athlete.
Lesley Brown
Board Member
Lesley was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario. After earning her Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University, she spent eight years working at BMO Nesbitt Burns, where she built a strong foundation in finance and client service. A few years later, she followed a personal passion and became a certified personal trainer, enjoying the opportunity to help others feel strong and confident in their own bodies.
Eventually, she made the choice to focus full-time on raising her family—a role that’s been the most rewarding of all. Lesley loves reading, running, and pretty much any kind of exercise.
She is incredibly proud of the Hugh and Linda Brown Educational Foundation and isgrateful to be part of the meaningful work we’re doing to enrich the lives of people on the East Coast—a place that will always feel like home.