Board of Directors

Katie Macham is the President & CEO of Capstone Launchpad Society and the Acting Chief Operating Officer of Capstone Project Solutions in Halifax. In these roles, she provides strategic leadership across organizational development, governance, workforce readiness, training, and operational execution. Her focus is on aligning vision with execution and ensuring programs and systems are practical, accessible, and sustainable.

Katie brings over 20 years of experience in community services, where she designed person-directed programming that supported adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to pursue goals related to employment, education, and meaningful community contribution. Her work emphasized individual choice, outcome-focused planning, and advocacy, aligning systems and supports around the priorities of the people served.

Across her career, Katie has worked at both the frontline and executive levels, giving her a strong understanding of how strategy translates into practice. She is committed to building organizations that are steady, responsive, and respectful of the work being done at every level, with a clear focus on accountability, effectiveness, and long-term impact.

Cynthia Giles serves as Vice President of the Board, supporting effective board leadership and strong governance processes. In this role, she assists with agenda setting, board coordination, and maintaining alignment between board priorities and organizational strategy. She contributes to strategic discussion, policy oversight, and board-level decision-making, helping ensure the Board fulfills its governance responsibilities while supporting the President & CEO within a clear and accountable leadership structure.

Cynthia is also the founder of Capstone, where she built the organization with a strong focus on inclusion, collaboration, and community impact. Her work has centered on creating opportunities within the business community for New Canadians and persons with disabilities, supporting pathways to meaningful employment through mentorship, relationship-building, and practical workforce engagement.

Across her leadership and governance roles, Cynthia brings a values-driven approach grounded in equity, opportunity, and shared responsibility. She is committed to building teams and systems that recognize diverse strengths, support professional growth, and connect people to work that is purposeful and sustainable.

  Amanda Silver is a dedicated professional with over 24 years of experience in disability services, supporting adults with diverse abilities, mental health diagnoses, and substance use disorders. Throughout her career, she has held progressive leadership roles, managing teams of nearly thirty staff and overseeing services for close to fifty individuals, with a consistent focus on person-centred, compassionate, and accountable care.

In addition to her work in human services, Amanda brings extensive experience in sport and community leadership. She served as President of a provincial sport organization for four years and has worked as a head coach for multiple wrestling teams. She was the first woman in the province to serve as a head coach in her sport, mentoring athletes, building inclusive teams, and promoting discipline, resilience, and respect both on and off the mat.

Amanda also serves on the Board in an Operations & Compliance governance role, providing oversight and guidance related to organizational systems, policies, and compliance obligations. She supports the Board’s understanding of operational risk, regulatory requirements, and internal controls, contributing professional insight to policy development, compliance monitoring, and risk management. Her governance work helps ensure organizational practices remain sound, consistent, and aligned with applicable standards.

Her combined experience in leadership, advocacy, and coaching reflects a long-standing commitment to empowering others and strengthening the communities she serves.

Shannon Cragg is a human services professional with over 20 years of experience supporting children, youth, families, and adults with diverse needs across Nova Scotia and Northern Canada. Their background includes roles in government services, residential care, disability support, youth justice, and healthcare, where they are known for building trust, coordinating complex care, and fostering respectful communication with families and community partners.

Shannon brings a strong foundation in sociology, along with training in adaptive learning, mental health support, ethics, and trauma-informed practice. Their work is compassionate, culturally responsive, and grounded in advocacy, with strengths in supervision, program development, and supporting independence and well-being.

Shannon also serves on the Board in a Communications & Outreach governance role, providing guidance on public messaging, community engagement, and external communications strategy. They support board-level consideration of clarity, transparency, and alignment between communications, organizational values, and strategic priorities, while maintaining appropriate separation from day-to-day execution.

Outside of work, Shannon is actively engaged in community volunteer efforts, reflecting a long-standing commitment to education, youth development, and community connection.

Tina Martin Peck serves on the Board of Capstone Launchpad Society as Director of Governance and Finance, supporting financial oversight, accountability, and governance best practices. In this role, she contributes to board-level review of financial reporting, budgeting, and fiscal decision-making, helping ensure financial information is clear, well understood, and aligned with the organization’s strategic direction and long-term sustainability.

Tina joined Launchpad to help bridge the gap between frontline reality and system design. She brings over a decade of experience across community-based and government human services, with a strong understanding of how policies, processes, and operational decisions translate into real outcomes for individuals, families, and staff.

Her background includes providing advanced, person-centred support to individuals with complex needs, as well as experience within the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. Through this work, she gained firsthand insight into how policy intent, documentation requirements, and day-to-day service delivery 

within child welfare and disability support systems. These experiences sharpened her ability to identify structural barriers, risk points, and opportunities for improvement within complex service environments.

At Launchpad, Tina applies a systems lens to innovation and problem-solving. She contributes practical, frontline-informed insights to governance discussions, policy development, and service improvement initiatives, with an emphasis on solutions that are feasible, ethical, and sustainable. 

Lisa Barry is the Director of Equity & Inclusion at Capstone, bringing over 30 years of progressive leadership experience grounded in community-based work, program planning, and relationship building. Her background spans hands-on service delivery and leadership roles, where she has focused on inclusive program design, goal setting, and operational coordination that supports people in meaningful, practical ways.

In her role at Capstone Launchpad, Lisa provides leadership across equity and inclusion initiatives, working closely with teams and partners to ensure programs are accessible, responsive, and aligned with diverse community needs. She is known for fostering strong partnerships, supporting collaborative approaches, and creating environments where people feel valued and supported. Her work is rooted in listening, learning, and continuous improvement.

Lisa has a strong ability to connect with individuals across ages, cultures, and backgrounds, and brings a genuine commitment to learning from every experience. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, beach walks, photography, reading, fostering kittens, and spending time with her family and pets. She is guided by the belief that “Inclusion is not a matter of political correctness. It is the key to growth.”