Team Members
Executive Director
Nicholas Salter
Nicholas Salter has been the Executive Director of the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) since 2021. He brings to the role more than a decade of leadership working with health and social services agencies, community organizations, higher education institutions, foundations, and multiple levels of government. His priorities have been establishing PERT’s research capacity and developing strong partnerships and relationships with stakeholders.
Prior to joining the Provincial Employment Roundtable, Nicholas directed communications and outreach for McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, where he played a key role in helping to build and launch the School. Nicholas previously headed the policy and communications work at Powered by Data — a nonprofit focused on open data and open government. Nicholas has also been involved in federal politics, where he led the team of a Member of Parliament and later became an advisor to regional teams and multiple parliamentarians.
Nicholas holds an MSW in International and Community Development, a BA in Psychology, and a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations Management. He is also a past fellow of the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy.
He currently sits on the board of the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex — a not-for-profit community-led health organization. He is also a member of the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN) Inter-Level Educational Table (ILET) and Literacy Quebec’s Community Empowerment through Literacy Initiative (CELI) Project Advisory Committee. He is the past Vice-President of the Carrefour jeunesse emploi – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Director, Engagement & Communications
Chad Walcott
Chad Walcott is a community engagement expert with 10 years of experience in politics and social development. Throughout his career, he has developed and overseen several successful social impact campaigns focused on social and economic development. Prior to joining PERT’s team, Chad held a position at the City of Montreal, where he was responsible for managing citizen requests and advising local officials on policies related to economic and social development.
Interim Director of Policy & Research
Morgan Gagnon
Morgan Gagnon is a skilled researcher and policy analyst with a background in Quebec higher education policy and theories of institutional responsibility. She recently completed her master’s degree in philosophy at Concordia University, where she held a SSHRC scholarship for her research on university sexual violence policies and accessibility to education. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Arts at Bishop’s University, where she gained extensive experience building relationships with community and regional partners.
Operations Manager
Katherine McIntosh
Katherine is a seasoned nonprofit professional with extensive experience in leadership and team management. She has previously served as the Executive Director of a community organization focused on providing emergency housing resources in the city of Montreal. Throughout her career, Katherine has built expertise in human resources, budgeting, networking, and administration, with a strong emphasis on creating inclusive, supportive work environments.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from McGill University, and a Graduate Diploma in Youth Work from Concordia University.
Executive Director
Nicholas Salter
Nicholas Salter has been the Executive Director of the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) since 2021. He brings to the role more than a decade of leadership working with health and social services agencies, community organizations, higher education institutions, foundations, and multiple levels of government. His priorities have been establishing PERT’s research capacity and developing strong partnerships and relationships with stakeholders.
Prior to joining the Provincial Employment Roundtable, Nicholas directed communications and outreach for McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, where he played a key role in helping to build and launch the School. Nicholas previously headed the policy and communications work at Powered by Data — a nonprofit focused on open data and open government. Nicholas has also been involved in federal politics, where he led the team of a Member of Parliament and later became an advisor to regional teams and multiple parliamentarians.
Nicholas holds an MSW in International and Community Development, a BA in Psychology, and a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations Management. He is also a past fellow of the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy.
He currently sits on the board of the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex — a not-for-profit community-led health organization. He is also a member of the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN) Inter-Level Educational Table (ILET) and Literacy Quebec’s Community Empowerment through Literacy Initiative (CELI) Project Advisory Committee. He is the past Vice-President of the Carrefour jeunesse emploi – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Director, Engagement & Communications
Chad Walcott
Chad Walcott is a community engagement expert with 10 years of experience in politics and social development. Throughout his career, he has developed and overseen several successful social impact campaigns focused on social and economic development. Prior to joining PERT’s team, Chad held a position at the City of Montreal, where he was responsible for managing citizen requests and advising local officials on policies related to economic and social development.
Interim Director of Policy & Research
Morgan Gagnon
Morgan Gagnon is a skilled researcher and policy analyst with a background in Quebec higher education policy and theories of institutional responsibility. She recently completed her master’s degree in philosophy at Concordia University, where she held a SSHRC scholarship for her research on university sexual violence policies and accessibility to education. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Arts at Bishop’s University, where she gained extensive experience building relationships with community and regional partners.
Operations Manager
Katherine McIntosh
Katherine is a seasoned nonprofit professional with extensive experience in leadership and team management. She has previously served as the Executive Director of a community organization focused on providing emergency housing resources in the city of Montreal. Throughout her career, Katherine has built expertise in human resources, budgeting, networking, and administration, with a strong emphasis on creating inclusive, supportive work environments.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Women’s Studies from McGill University, and a Graduate Diploma in Youth Work from Concordia University.
Organizational Development Lead
Clea Corman
With 10 years of experience in development and a soon-to-be-completed master’s degree from McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, Clea Corman brings cross-disciplinary leadership skills to the projects she is a part of. She has worked directly with hundreds of at-risk youth, improved drop-out rates, and increased access to bilingual health and employment services for English speakers in rural Quebec. With previous experience as an executive director and board member of nonprofits, she knows first-hand the importance of advocacy for community well-being. She brings expertise in organizational development, strategic planning, stakeholder management, participatory research, and capacity building. She is looking forward to leveraging these skills to further promote the needs of English-speaking Quebecers through her work at PERT.
Policy Researcher
Marlena Flick
Marlena is a researcher and policy professional with an interest in “making work work for everyone” and expertise in socio-economic inclusion, immigration, and labour markets. Before joining PERT, Marlena managed research, partnerships and data on the economic inclusion of immigrants, the future of work and skills, accessibility, and entrepreneurship for social-impact organizations and think-tanks including Canada’s leading foreign credential recognition evaluator, World Education Services (WES) and the Public Policy Forum (PPF). She enjoys leveraging experience in data analysis, intersectional and accessible project design, community development, and multisectoral stakeholder engagement to ensure people are at the centre of policy research and development.
Program Coordinator
Michelle Dzbik
Michelle Dzbik has spent numerous years in service to different communities, focusing on building relationships founded on trust, respect, and inclusion. With experience living and volunteering abroad, she has a particular interest in cultivating understanding and forging connections between a diversity of people. Currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations (Community Development) with a minor in Psychology at Concordia University, Michelle brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, communications, and community organizing. She looks forward to developing innovative and inspiring programs that advance PERT’s mission of improving employment outcomes for English-speaking Quebecers.
Policy Researcher
Sarahi Nava Marquina
Sarahí is an economist from Mérida, Venezuela, who recently moved to Canada to complete a master’s degree from McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy. She first immigrated to Mexico in 2016 to work as an International Economy Analyst in a Mexican brokerage house, where she also worked in Corporate Finance. Later on, she shifted her career focus and became an ESG Project Manager, developing initiatives on education and gender equality. With more than 7 years of work experience, Sarahí brings to PERT her positive energy and advanced skills in leadership, data analysis and critical thinking to improve the collective understanding of the challenges that English-speaking Quebecers face in accessing and thriving in the labour market.
Organizational Development Lead
Clea Corman
With 10 years of experience in development and a soon-to-be-completed master’s degree from McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, Clea Corman brings cross-disciplinary leadership skills to the projects she is a part of. She has worked directly with hundreds of at-risk youth, improved drop-out rates, and increased access to bilingual health and employment services for English speakers in rural Quebec. With previous experience as an executive director and board member of nonprofits, she knows first-hand the importance of advocacy for community well-being. She brings expertise in organizational development, strategic planning, stakeholder management, participatory research, and capacity building. She is looking forward to leveraging these skills to further promote the needs of English-speaking Quebecers through her work at PERT.
Policy Researcher
Marlena Flick
Marlena is a researcher and policy professional with an interest in “making work work for everyone” and expertise in socio-economic inclusion, immigration, and labour markets. Before joining PERT, Marlena managed research, partnerships and data on the economic inclusion of immigrants, the future of work and skills, accessibility, and entrepreneurship for social-impact organizations and think-tanks including Canada’s leading foreign credential recognition evaluator, World Education Services (WES) and the Public Policy Forum (PPF). She enjoys leveraging experience in data analysis, intersectional and accessible project design, community development, and multisectoral stakeholder engagement to ensure people are at the centre of policy research and development.
Program Coordinator
Michelle Dzbik
Michelle Dzbik has spent numerous years in service to different communities, focusing on building relationships founded on trust, respect, and inclusion. With experience living and volunteering abroad, she has a particular interest in cultivating understanding and forging connections between a diversity of people. Currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations (Community Development) with a minor in Psychology at Concordia University, Michelle brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, communications, and community organizing. She looks forward to developing innovative and inspiring programs that advance PERT’s mission of improving employment outcomes for English-speaking Quebecers.
Policy Researcher
Sarahi Nava Marquina
Sarahí is an economist from Mérida, Venezuela, who recently moved to Canada to complete a master’s degree from McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy. She first immigrated to Mexico in 2016 to work as an International Economy Analyst in a Mexican brokerage house, where she also worked in Corporate Finance. Later on, she shifted her career focus and became an ESG Project Manager, developing initiatives on education and gender equality. With more than 7 years of work experience, Sarahí brings to PERT her positive energy and advanced skills in leadership, data analysis and critical thinking to improve the collective understanding of the challenges that English-speaking Quebecers face in accessing and thriving in the labour market.
Executive Assistant
Daniel Johnson
Daniel is an experienced administrative professional with over 15 years of expertise in project management, operational efficiency, and stakeholder engagement. His background spans both the nonprofit and public sectors, with a focus on improving internal systems, supporting leadership teams, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
His career has included roles in legal services, property management, and higher education. He has provided administrative and communications support to senior executives, managed programs, projects and events, and helped implement tools to streamline office workflows. Daniel holds a business degree from the University of Nottingham. His work is grounded in a commitment to service, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness.
Communications Lead
Sakib Hossain
Sakib Hossain arrived in Montreal at the age of five, speaking no French but lucky enough to receive an education, learning the language alongside the culture that would shape his future. Like many children of immigrants, he became the unofficial family translator, wrestling with government forms and immigration paperwork well before his teenage years. That early exposure taught him just how intimidating Quebec’s systems can feel when language is a barrier.
Today, Sakib brings that lived experience to his work in communications, where he’s spent his career making complex ideas accessible to wider audiences. With a background spanning journalism, public relations, and strategic communications, he specializes in helping organizations reach and connect with their unique audiences.
He believes that clarity is a form of kindness, and that no one should feel locked out of opportunity because they don’t yet have the words.
Communications Intern
Shaye Macleod
Shaye is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at Concordia University. Originally from New Brunswick, she is passionate about language access, media literacy, and creative industries. Her background includes working with independent artists in Montreal, with a particular interest in building inclusive networks. At PERT, Shaye is excited to contribute to outreach and engagement efforts that empower English-speaking communities across Québec.
“I was drawn to PERT because of my connection to the challenges many English speakers face in Quebec. Although I studied French throughout school, after moving to Montreal and entering the job market, I discovered that my language skills did not meet the expectations of many employers. PERT’s work resonated with me not only because it highlights these barriers, but because it actively supports people in improving their language skills in a welcoming and inclusive environment.“
Research Intern
Magdalen Hughes
Magdalen is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at Concordia University, specializing in the philosophy of science. In addition to their studies, they have several years of practical experience in the non-profit sector. During this time, they contributed to research, outreach, and service coordination for organizations focused on issues such as environmental justice and mental health.
“I was attracted to PERT because of its community-based and research-informed approach to policy. I am especially interested in how the organization incorporates the lived experiences of English-speaking Quebecers to develop practical, evidence-based solutions. I wanted to be part of an organization that engages with the government strategically to create meaningful change.”
Executive Assistant
Daniel Johnson
Daniel is an experienced administrative professional with over 15 years of expertise in project management, operational efficiency, and stakeholder engagement. His background spans both the nonprofit and public sectors, with a focus on improving internal systems, supporting leadership teams, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
His career has included roles in legal services, property management, and higher education. He has provided administrative and communications support to senior executives, managed programs, projects and events, and helped implement tools to streamline office workflows. Daniel holds a business degree from the University of Nottingham. His work is grounded in a commitment to service, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness.
Communications Lead
Sakib Hossain
Sakib Hossain arrived in Montreal at the age of five, speaking no French but lucky enough to receive an education, learning the language alongside the culture that would shape his future. Like many children of immigrants, he became the unofficial family translator, wrestling with government forms and immigration paperwork well before his teenage years. That early exposure taught him just how intimidating Quebec’s systems can feel when language is a barrier.
Today, Sakib brings that lived experience to his work in communications, where he’s spent his career making complex ideas accessible to wider audiences. With a background spanning journalism, public relations, and strategic communications, he specializes in helping organizations reach and connect with their unique audiences.
He believes that clarity is a form of kindness, and that no one should feel locked out of opportunity because they don’t yet have the words.
Communications Intern
Shaye Macleod
Shaye is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at Concordia University. Originally from New Brunswick, she is passionate about language access, media literacy, and creative industries. Her background includes working with independent artists in Montreal, with a particular interest in building inclusive networks. At PERT, Shaye is excited to contribute to outreach and engagement efforts that empower English-speaking communities across Québec.
“I was drawn to PERT because of my connection to the challenges many English speakers face in Quebec. Although I studied French throughout school, after moving to Montreal and entering the job market, I discovered that my language skills did not meet the expectations of many employers. PERT’s work resonated with me not only because it highlights these barriers, but because it actively supports people in improving their language skills in a welcoming and inclusive environment.“
Research Intern
Magdalen Hughes
Magdalen is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at Concordia University, specializing in the philosophy of science. In addition to their studies, they have several years of practical experience in the non-profit sector. During this time, they contributed to research, outreach, and service coordination for organizations focused on issues such as environmental justice and mental health.
“I was attracted to PERT because of its community-based and research-informed approach to policy. I am especially interested in how the organization incorporates the lived experiences of English-speaking Quebecers to develop practical, evidence-based solutions. I wanted to be part of an organization that engages with the government strategically to create meaningful change.”
Communications Intern
Matthew Curtis
Matthew, recently graduated from Concordia University’s Literature program, relishes the narrative medium. Finding joy in the arts, his interest piques in making explicit the social function of narrative as a progressive tool for community development. Originally from South Florida, he grew up alongside speakers of Creole, Spanish, and English, and understands the complex needs of multi-linguistic communities–believing political advocacy to be of most importance.
“It was my early development in a diverse social setting and perseverance to study the intricacies of language which led me to be a communications intern at PERT. Here, I am able to apply my experience to extend the reach of PERT’s policy work towards a public audience. Through informing community members, I hope to empower individuals to support a better future for all Québecers.”
Research Intern
Arshdeep Kaur Gill
Arshdeep is currently completing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics Co-op with a minor in Business Studies at Concordia University. She has built a strong foundation in economic analysis, policy writing, and both qualitative and quantitative research. Her academic experience includes producing policy briefs, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and providing evidence-based recommendations on topics such as environmental regulation. She brings strong skills in collaboration, data interpretation, and clear, strategic communication.
“I was drawn to PERT’s mission to improve employment outcomes for English-speaking Quebecers because it aligns with my passion for using research to drive evidence-based policy change. The opportunity to contribute to an organization focused on equity, labour market development, and language access was especially meaningful to me. I saw this internship as a valuable way to apply what I’ve learned while supporting a cause that makes a tangible impact across Quebec.”
Communications Intern
Matthew Curtis
Matthew, recently graduated from Concordia University’s Literature program, relishes the narrative medium. Finding joy in the arts, his interest piques in making explicit the social function of narrative as a progressive tool for community development. Originally from South Florida, he grew up alongside speakers of Creole, Spanish, and English, and understands the complex needs of multi-linguistic communities–believing political advocacy to be of most importance.
“It was my early development in a diverse social setting and perseverance to study the intricacies of language which led me to be a communications intern at PERT. Here, I am able to apply my experience to extend the reach of PERT’s policy work towards a public audience. Through informing community members, I hope to empower individuals to support a better future for all Québecers.”
Research Intern
Arshdeep Kaur Gill
Arshdeep is currently completing a Bachelor’s degree in Economics Co-op with a minor in Business Studies at Concordia University. She has built a strong foundation in economic analysis, policy writing, and both qualitative and quantitative research. Her academic experience includes producing policy briefs, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and providing evidence-based recommendations on topics such as environmental regulation. She brings strong skills in collaboration, data interpretation, and clear, strategic communication.
“I was drawn to PERT’s mission to improve employment outcomes for English-speaking Quebecers because it aligns with my passion for using research to drive evidence-based policy change. The opportunity to contribute to an organization focused on equity, labour market development, and language access was especially meaningful to me. I saw this internship as a valuable way to apply what I’ve learned while supporting a cause that makes a tangible impact across Quebec.”