Green Party of Prince Edward Island

Home

Provincial Council

The Provincial Council is the governing body and board of directors of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island. Provincial Council meets regularly once a month, and minutes of past meetings can be accessed by members by logging into the Members' Area and going to Member's Resources in the Documents section.

We encourage you to reach out to any member of Provincial Council using the email addresses listed below, or to all Councilors at once by emailing provincial-council@greenparty.pe.ca.

President - Vacant

Following the February District 19 Borden-Kinkora byelection, Matt MacFarlane was elected as the MLA for that district and stepped down from his role as president. Council now operates with a rotating chair at each meeting until Council appoints an interim president.

George Mason - Treasurer

George is a dedicated member of the Green Party and has been actively involved since his retirement four years ago. Prior to that, he had a lengthy career with the Province but was excluded from participating in political activities. However, in February of 2023, George was appointed to Council as the acting Secretary-Treasurer, and since then, he has been actively involved in coordinating Party finances along with the campaign team.

Throughout his career, George has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including CHANCES as Treasurer, CNIB as a Board Member, and currently the Island Nature Trust as Secretary.

George has a diverse background, which includes four years at UPEI and four years in the private sector. He also held various financial roles with the Province in Energy, Forestry, Environment, Municipal Affairs, Health, Finance, Justice, and the Auditor General’s Office. His broad range of experience has given him a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge that he brings to his current role with the Green Party.

Contact: treasurer@greenparty.pe.ca

Barbara Dylla - Member-at-Large

Originally from Quebec and fully bilingual (English/French), Barbara became a member of the Green Party of PEI shortly after moving to Prince Edward Island in 2017. She worked at the Charlottetown six candidates' headquarters in the 2019 general election campaign. In August of the same year, she was elected to the District 12 EDA coordinating team, taking on the role of chair following the incumbents resignation in November 2018, a position she held until December 2022.

With a career in customer service, administration, sales & marketing, and management, Barbara brings her entrepreneurial and organizational experience and skills to the Green Party. In particular, she aspires to strengthen Council's governance structure to support the Party's short and medium term goals and objectives.

Contact: barbara.dylla@greenparty.pe.ca

Michelle Patterson - Member-at-Large

Michelle is passionate about making changes that benefit society as a whole, not just a specific few.

She holds a PhD in biomedical sciences and over 10 years of research experience and has worked in the legislative assembly of PEI with the Green Caucus since 2019. With a deep understanding of policy development, she works tirelessly to ensure that the needs and ideas of everyday people are taken into account.

She sat on the board of the Cornwall Timberwolves Football Club for the past year and is a dedicated member of the PEI Ground Search and Rescue Team.

Contact: michelle.patterson@greenparty.pe.ca

Perry Williams - Member-at-Large

Perry Williams is a lifelong Islander and is happy to be a GPPEI Council member. He has been a Green Party member for many years and has been actively involved in several election campaigns. Perry is a graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island (B. Mus 1983) and the University of Western Ontario (M. Mus 1993) and has worked as a sessional lecturer and a teaching assistant at these institutions. He taught instrumental music in the PEI public school system from 1983 to 1995. In 1995, Perry left the teaching profession and created Virtual Studios Creative Digital Media. Virtual Studios produces educational and promotional media for businesses and institutions in PEI and across the Maritimes.

Throughout his adult life, Perry has been and continues to be active in the Island music

community. He has been a member of the PEI Symphony Orchestra, The Charlottetown

Summer Festival Orchestra, The Amabile Singers, The Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble, GROOVE COMPANY, and was a founding member of the multiple-ECMA-winning group, Jive Kings.

Perry lives in St. Catherines with his wife, Susan in the home they designed and built in 1998.

They have three adult children, all of whom reside in PEI.

Contact: perry.wiliams@greenparty.pe.ca

Kathy Low - Member-At-Large

After moving to PEI in 2019, Kathy took on the position of administrative coordinator for the Green Caucus (Official Opposition) at the Legislative Assembly of PEI. She continued in this role until April 2023. Kathy was actively involved in the 2023 provincial election campaign, serving as the central

financial controller for the District budgets, and enjoyed meeting and working with dedicated Green Party members from tip to tip. Kathy worked as a project coordinator in Employment Services in Ontario for many years, prior to this she worked in addiction services and at a women’s shelter. She served on two community not-for-profit boards and numerous committees during this time. Kathy is passionate about social justice and environmental responsibility. She is weary of successive governments making and breaking promises, continually failing to move us forward as a society by caring for our most vulnerable, and our environment. Kathy’s direct experience with the Green Caucus and the many Islanders who called into the office for assistance strengthens her commitment to working toward a Green government in the future.

Contact: kathy.low@greenparty.pe.ca

Allan Rankin - Member-At-Large

Allan Rankin was born and grew up in Summerside and lives in Hunter River. He studied at the University of Prince Edward Island and the University of New Brunswick, where he completed an M.A. in Canadian History.

Allan worked in the heritage and museums area for many years.

Government and the political life of the province has been a major focus for Allan throughout his life. In 1980, he became the province’s first Cultural Affairs Officer, and nine years later was

appointed Deputy Minister of Community Affairs. During a lengthy career with the provincial government, Allan served as Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet in two separate administrations, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly for several years, and finally as Co-Chair of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC). Allan also worked for the Senate of Canada as a policy assistant for several years, alongside the MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, Matt MacFarlane.

In a different creative dimension, Allan is a well known Island singer-songwriter who has recorded two solo albums, co-written a mainstage musical, and performed to audiences throughout Atlantic Canada. Allan has been involved in various community boards and organizations. He is a former Chair of the Community of Hunter River and currently is on the board of the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside. Allan believes in the values and principles of the Green Party, and is looking forward to contributing his experience and knowledge

as a member of the Council.

Contact: allan.rankin@greenparty.pe.ca

1 Vacancy - Member-at-Large

To be appointed by Provincial Council

Derek Donohoe - Official Agent

Derek is originally from British Columbia but has lived in multiple different countries around the world, including in Asia, Australia, and Europe, providing him with a unique ability to approach problems and work with individuals from multiple backgrounds, in diverse cultural settings. A self-proclaimed reformed solicitor, Derek has a storied background as an entrepreneur and Business Development Manager, where he harness’ his experiences to develop strategies, and network and brings a tenacious ability to drive solutions. New to the Island, Derek, and his family have quickly joined the community and are often seen on walking trails or on the island’s best beaches. Derek has joined the Greens due to a desire to contribute to a future for all islanders, where the community is engaged to work on pressing matters together.

Contact: derek.donohoe@greenparty.pe.ca