Meet Our Board
We support children and youth to reach their full potential!
The Abbottsfield Youth Project (AYP) Board of Directors is a governing board comprised of volunteer board members with a variety of skill sets and expertise. The AYP Board is the legal authority for Abbottsfield Youth Project. As a member of the Board, a Director acts in a position of trust for the community and is responsible for the effective governance of the organization.
Courtney Naccarato
President
Why I Love AYP:
Fun fact about me:
Randy Witte
Vice President
Why I Love AYP:
Having been an educator for the past 26 years, I know first hand the importance of organizations such as the Abbottsfield Youth Project. Providing kids with a safe environment to play, to connect and to learn gives them the opportunity to make meaningful connections with their peers and caring adults. The skills and attitudes they learn via AYP’s programming offers them the tools to be successful in whatever they wish to do. I look forward to contributing however I can to this important organization.
Fun fact about me:
I love to fly fish and camp. I wrote a camping guidebook many, many years ago.
Adam Dressler
Treasurer
Why I Love AYP:
During the pandemic I came to recognize how important my relationships to other people are and how much I had taken those connections for granted. Knowing how that isolation felt, it suddenly hit me that there were now children who have had to spend a good part of their life distanced from everyone else or otherwise having to limit how they play. I love AYP because it does the critically important work of bridging those spaces that have formed in recent years, bringing children together to forge new relationships, and learn practical skills that are both fun and meaningfully transformative.
Fun fact about me:
I have a ridiculous love for books! So much so I end up having a difficult time finding places for them all. While my day job may be as an accountant, I think I may have missed my calling as a librarian! I also love learning and I love to inspire others to dive into discovering anything and everything that interests them.
Sheena Kelloway
Director
Why I Love AYP:
As a former teacher, I have been looking for a way to contribute in my community in a meaningful way. I found AYP and, in this community, I found other like-minded individuals that are also striving toward the goal of making a positive impact for children and their families. It is my privilege to be afforded the opportunity to collaborate with the community in the capacity of this wonderful organization and to make a difference.
Fun fact about me:
I really enjoy going to concerts. I once got to see Paul McCartney in Halifax, Nova Scotia and it was one of the greatest events I have been part of. Listening to 30,000 people sing Imagine by John Lennon was moving to say the least.
Danielle McDonald
Director (On Leave)
Why I Love AYP:
Fun fact about me:
Jessica Scott
Director (On Leave)
Why I Love AYP:
I’ve been connected to AYP for many years, from working as a Child Development Coordinator to serving as the Executive Director, and now volunteering on the Board of Directors. I love AYP for being a safe place where everyone is welcome to come be themselves and have fun. AYP teaches the important things that sometimes will never be taught anywhere else; how to communicate with others, how to cultivate healthy self-esteem and coping strategies for tough times.
Fun fact about me:
I’ve travelled to every continent except for Antarctica!
