Board Members

REACH in NB

Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mary McCarthy, PhD

In 2023, Dr. McCarthy was bestowed with the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal. In 2022, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from St. Thomas University, affirming their profound impact on academia and community engagement.

As the Executive Director of REACH (Remembering Each African Cemeteries’ History in New Brunswick), Dr. McCarthy has spearheaded initiatives to preserve and honour the legacies of our ancestors, shedding light on often-overlooked narratives and reclaiming spaces of historical significance.

A distinguished scholar, Dr. McCarthy earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto, specializing in Social Justice from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Dr McCarthy’s academic achievements are paralleled by her profound impact on legal precedents, as demonstrated by her landmark victory in a human rights case against Shoppers Drug Mart in 2015, where Dr. McCarthy successfully challenged racial profiling.

Board Member
Jennifer Dow – Black Family Historian & Researcher

Jennifer is a sixth-generation descendant of early Black New Brunswickers, whose passion for uncovering overlooked narratives was sparked by her mother’s dedication to heritage preservation. Through extensive archival research and family tree mapping, she has brought many lost stories to light, ensuring they are no longer forgotten. Her research has culminated in several notable exhibits, including Our Black Heritage 1783–Present at the Fredericton Region Museum (2023), We Were Here: A Portrait of Daily Life in New Brunswick’s Black Community (1850–1960) at the UNB Art Centre (2023), the creation of Fredericton’s first known Black History Walking Tour (2023) and the exhibit Forgotten Loyalty: New Brunswick’s Hidden Connection to No. 2 Construction Battalion (2025).Beyond gallery walls, Jennifer consults on educational resources and authored the heritage book Beyond Borders: Black Heritage in New Brunswick, which is now a province-wide resource in the New Brunswick school curriculum. Her contributions have been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal and awards from the York Sunbury Historical Society. Driven by her great-grandmother’s wish to ensure history is remembered, Jennifer remains devoted to honouring and preserving the legacy of New Brunswick’s Black community.

Board Member
Carol Howe

Carol Howe is an entrepreneur, an award-winning master hair stylist, and educator. Though growing up in a military family that moved around a lot, she always called Fredericton home She moved back when she was 19 and found her passion as a shampoo girl in a high-end hair salon in 1976 and so began a journey which led her to excel in her field and eventually own her own business. She credits Ellis Trail with her success in his role as mentor and friend. She has trained with some of the most prestigious names and schools in the world including Manfred Fuchs from Austria, Redken New York, the Bray’s in Alabama and Suki’s Academy in Vancouver. She began competing in hair design in 1990 and over a five-year period won over 15 competitions. She is a three-time New Brunswick champion, an Atlantic Champion, competed in Toronto for the National Title and in 2012 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Master Judges Program at Hair Arts & Science. She has been published in a number of magazines including Salon, Chatelaine, Canadian Hairdresser, Wedding Bells, and Cam. Carol has been the owner of Heavens the Salon since 1999. She is now semi-retired and has discovered a new passion, providing wigs to cancer patients. Carol Howe is also on the board of Reach NB.

Board Member
Naomi Leslie-Drummond

Board Member
Zandra Pinette

Zandra is a 46 year old woman born in Botswana, Africa. She has lived in Canada for 36 years and lives in Rothesay, New Brunswick. She is a mother of 4X. Zandra joins REACH with employment experiences in the field of mental health, addictions, acute care, private practice and is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. She had 4 degrees having earned a BA, BSW, MEd and MSW. Zandra is an aspiring PHD student aiming to research Black women’s mental health. Zandra brings strong research skills to REACH. She wrote her MEd thesis on the portray of Black women’s bodies in popular culture examine the intersection of race, sex and gender.

Her thesis addressed racialized stereotypes and the advocated for the need to dismantle fixed labels. A focus of her research identified the Black female body as a site of resistance.

Zandra’s experience with the Black community in New Brunswick has involved working in community development through teaching Black History and anti-racism education. She delivers social work services through her private practice operating from an Afrocentric lens. Zandra was awarded several scholarships throughout her graduate career. In 2004, she was recognized nationally as an emerging young Black leader in Canada. In 2023, Zandra set a prevalent for the Canadian Armed Forces overturning a decision resulting in increased supports to assist veterans with PTSD.

Zandra hopes to lend her expertise in making applications to secure funding to advance the organization. She is also a skilled public speaker.

Zandra is proud to be a part of an organization advancing the Black community in New Brunswick.

Get Involved!

REACH New Brunswick is always seeking individuals passionate about preserving Black history, honouring ancestral burial sites, and uplifting the Black community to join our board.