CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
GOVERNANCE
Assented to on June 11, 1998, during the First Session of the Thirty-sixth Parliament, the Canada Marine Act is “an Act for making the system of Canadian ports competitive, efficient and commercially oriented”. Among other things, the Act establishes the governance model for the board of directors, setting criteria for the qualifications, terms of appointment, eligibility, and other related matters.
Board of Directors
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The governing directors of the Saint John Port Authority are appointed by four bodies as follows:
Federal government appoints one member (direct appointment)
Federal government appoints four additional members, which are recommended to the Minister by port users* via a nominating committee**
Province of New Brunswick appoints one member (direct appointment)
City of Saint John appoints one member (direct appointment)
* A port user is defined as a person (including a partnership, an association, a body corporate or an individual) who makes commercial use of, or provides services at, the port.
** The Nominating Committee is an advisory committee that provides advice to the Minister of Transport with respect to four director positions appointed by the Governor in Council. The Nominating Committee consists of four voting members representatives of certain classes of users of the Port within the domain of the Saint John Port Authority.
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In accordance with the Government of Canada’s new appointment process announced early in 2016, the selection process of user-group nominated candidates will be transparent and merit-based, as well as striving for both gender parity and to be representative of Canada’s diversity.
The Letters Patent for Saint John Port Authority outlines a process to be followed by the Nominating Committee in soliciting and recommending candidates to the Minister (Schedule D of Letters Patent). The process includes receiving nominations, vetting them for eligibility against the criteria described in the Canada Marine Act and Letters Patent and then making recommendations to the Minister of Transport.
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Once appointed to the board, members have a fiduciary obligation to represent the best interests of the Saint John Port Authority. The seven members of the board of directors offer a broad range of experience and expertise and have several roles:
Set direction and guide the port authority in fulfilling our mandate.
Approve the corporate vision, mission, values, and goals.
Set goals and objectives for corporate performance.
Review performance against goals and objectives.
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Terms are not more than three years. Two re-appointments are permitted for a maximum of nine years.
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The board of directors meets six times per year, usually for one full day.
Each director sits on at least 1 committee. Each committee has its own schedule, and the number of committee meetings varies, but typically meets at least once per quarter.
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The Code of Conduct establishes clear conflict of interest rules and board members must disclose any potential or real conflicts of interest.
Board Members
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Federal
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Jack Keir was appointed to the Board of Directors at Port Saint John in July 2019.
Mr. Keir was elected to the Legislative Assembly of NB to represent the electoral district of Fundy-River Valley in the 2006 election. He was appointed to cabinet and served as Minister of Energy from 2006-2010.
He has since served as the Director of Issues Management within the Office of the Premier, and as Executive Director of the Regional Services Commission.
He has also served in executive positions on the Saint John Harbour Bridge Authority and the Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission.
Mr. Keir is founding Chair of the Regional Facilities Commission. He has served on several boards including being a past Board member of Enterprise Saint John and Co-Chair of LivingSJ.
Jack Keir
Chair
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Federal
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Charlie Harling was appointed to the Port Saint John Board of Directors in June 2026.
Mr. Harling is a seasoned business leader, entrepreneur, and corporate director with more than three decades of experience across the private and public sectors. As Founder and CEO of Harling Management Group, he provides strategic advisory services to enterprise clients, Crown corporations, and public organizations, supporting growth and market expansion.
Mr. Harling previously served as Vice President, Business Sales at Bell Canada and Bell Aliant, where he led multi-provincial teams and managed major enterprise and government portfolios. Earlier in his career, he co-founded a technology startup and served as an Economic Development Advisor in the Office of the Premier of New Brunswick.
A certified corporate director (ICD.D), Mr. Harling is actively engaged in governance and community leadership, contributing to economic development and innovation initiatives across Atlantic Canada.
Charlie Harling
Director
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Municipal
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Ralph Landers was appointed by the City of Saint John to the Board of Directors for Port Saint John in August 2023.
He served two terms on Saint John City Council, the first was serving under Samuel Davis (1977 - 1980) and then under Bob Lockhart (1980 - 1983) and was actively involved in the Development of Market Square and the Canada Summer Games.
Ralph has been involved in the construction industry since the mid 1970's and has served in many capacities such as apprentice, Journeyman, Foreman, Superintendent , instructor and for the past 25 years as Regional General Manager of Pro lnsul Limited.
He presently serves on several Boards such as the Province of New Brunswick Advisory Board for the Heat and Frost Insulator Trade, the Joint Apprenticeship Advisory Committee, Insulators Health, Welfare and Pension Board as well as the Saint John Construction Association's Negotiating Committee.
In recent years Ralph has dedicated countless hours in the advancement of diversity in the workforce, especially getting women in non- traditional skilled trades and is passionate about the need for improvement in the development of a safe work environment.
Ralph Landers
Director
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Federal
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Peter McGuire has graduate degrees from Boston University and University of Toronto.
Within his 37-year governmental career he provided leadership to numerous innovative community mental health programs. In 2008, Peter was appointed by the Minister of Health to work in correlation with UNB Saint John to build the Promise Partnership Mentoring Initiative.
As a two-term Saint John City Councillor (2004-2012), he provided oversight for numerous civic projects including: civic pension reform, the building of police, justice and transit headquarters, and the completion of the Saint John Harbour Clean-up project.
Mr. McGuire has extensive governance experience and background with a number of community non-profit organizational boards. He has served on numerous committees, boards and agencies including the Saint John Police Commission, Crescent Valley Resource Centre, and Plan SJ to name a few.
Peter McGuire
Vice-Chair
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Provincial
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Nicole Paquet was appointed to the Port Saint John Board of Directors in June 2026.
Ms. Paquet is a strategy, leadership, and transformation advisor with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex change. As founder of NPL Advisory, she works with leaders, executive teams, and boards to align strategy into action, strengthen leadership, and turn uncertainty into practical action.
Her work spans the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, with experience in strategic planning, governance, organizational transformation, stakeholder engagement, and leadership development. Known for bringing clarity, practicality, and a human approach to complex challenges, Nicole is committed to contributing to the continued growth and vitality of Saint John and the region.
Ms. Paquet is the proud Mom of four, and lives in Uptown Saint John with her husband, Phil.
Nicole Paquet
Director
Chris MacDonald
Director
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Federal
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Chris MacDonald was appointed to the Port Saint John Board of Directors in May 2026.
Born in Miramichi, NB, Mr. MacDonald graduated from St. Thomas University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A. Hons. Dist.) and graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1989 with a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B.). Mr. MacDonald joined Saint John Shipbuilding as in-house legal counsel in 1991; he transferred to their parent company, J.D. Irving, Limited, in 1995; and took on the role of Director, Government Relations in 2004 and Vice President, Government Relations in 2020. Mr. MacDonald retired from J.D. Irving, Limited on December 31, 2024 after more than 33 years with the Company.
Mr. MacDonald is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Saint John Airport where he sits on both their Finance and Governance Committees. He is also on the Board of Just Us; We All Struggle Inc. Mr. MacDonald is a former member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of New Brunswick and is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Saint John, the Greater Saint John Community Foundation, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (NB) and Sports New Brunswick.
Mr. MacDonald and his wife Jane Grannan reside in Rothesay, NB with their three children.
Charlene Hayes
Director
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Federal
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Charlene Hayes was appointed to the Port Saint John Board of Directors in June 2026.
Ms. Hayes draws on more than 30 years of experience in leadership roles, fundraising, and community engagement. She serves as Special Assistant to the Honourable Frank McKenna, where she plays a central role in delivering wide-ranging national and international initiatives.
Ms. Hayes manages complex schedules and logistics, leads high-level engagements, and supports relationships with leaders across business, government, and the community. She also plays a key role in overseeing the McKenna Family Foundation and major events.
A lifelong resident of Saint John, Ms. Hayes has held senior roles with the Canadian Cancer Society and contributed to numerous boards and community organizations. She is a proud mom of four and remains actively engaged in her community.