Halifax – The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) today announced the appointment of well-known Canadian entrepreneur John Risley as the new chair of its Board of Directors. Risley, co-founder and chairman of Clearwater Fine Foods, takes over from John F. Irving who stepped down earlier this year.

Risley admits he doesn’t take on such voluntary roles lightly and says he sees the importance of AIMS’ work and research to the future of the region.

“I think AIMS is well positioned to provide policy guidance as the region struggles with a low growth environment, huge fiscal debt and unrealistic expectations as to the role of Government and public services,” says Risley. “We need to aggressively stimulate debate, get the broad community involved in understanding the extent of the problem and provide ideas on policy response. Never has the role of public policy been more important to the region than it is now.”

AIMS President and CEO Charles Cirtwill says the Institute is honoured to have Risley as the new chair.

“AIMS has very simple criteria when seeking Board members, we want people who have both vision and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and work to make that vision a reality,” says Cirtwill. “John Risley is such a visionary.”

Other changes to the AIMS Board include the addition of R.B. Cameron, Malcolm Fraser, Wadih Fares, and David Hooley as members.

They join vice chairs Vaughn Sturgeon and Dianne Kelderman, along with members Charles Cirtwill, Brian Crowley, Colin Dodds, Douglas Hall, Louis Maroun, Don Mills, Perry Newman, Jacquelyn Thayer-Scott and Heather Tulk.

“We have been very fortunate to have attracted over the years very talented and influential people to our Board,” says Cirtwill. “I’d like to thank all those past members and in particular those who have just stepped down from the Board – John Irving, George Bishop, George Cooper, Norm Miller, Phillip Knoll and Peter Vigue – for their time and contribution to AIMS.”

AIMS is a non-partisan, independent public policy think tank based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In its 15 year history it has won five international awards for research excellence, and is consistently ranked as one of the most influential think tanks in Canada by the Foreign Policy Research Institute in its Global Go-to Think Tanks survey.

-30-

For further information, contact:

Charles Cirtwill – 902-489-7699