WTI Directors & Advisory Board
Dr. Keith G. Brown
Professor, MBA CED
Managing Director, World Tourism Institute at CBU
Former (Vice President, International and Aboriginal Affairs, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies)
Dr. Brown obtained a B.B.A. from St. F.X. University, Antigonish, N.S., a B.B.Ed. from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, N.S., an M.B.A.-Marketing from City University, Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A. and a Ph.D. Marketing (tourism consumer behaviour) from the University of Bradford in England.
As a Professor in the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University, Dr. Brown has taught a wide variety of courses and has taught and lectured in Cairo, Beijing, Tianjin, Zhengzhou and Zhuhai. He currently teaches in the MBA (CED) (Marketing, International Business, Strategy). He is currently the Managing Director of the World Tourism Institute.
He has presented and published a wide range of academic papers and served as a guest speaker and panellist on Economic Development, Immigration, Cultural Tourism Marketing, Aboriginal Economic Development and Aboriginal Education. His research interests include regional economic development, cultural tourism marketing and Aboriginal Economic Development. He is currently researching and writing with Dr. Jane Connell a text on the development of the Tourism Cluster on Cape Breton Island.
His most recent publications include:
Brown, K.G., Anderson, E., (2022). In Press. The Transition from Government Driven Innovation to Private Sector Market Responsiveness: Cape Breton Island, Canada. Handbook on Tourism and Behaviour Change, Edward Elgar Publishing, London, UK.
Brown, K.G., (2021). Cape Breton Island Tourism: How to Build a Masterpiece. Sydney, NS.
Brown, K.G., Doucette, M.B., Tulk, J. (2016), Indigenous Business in Canada: Principles and Practices. Cape Breton University Press.
Brown, K. G., Pyke, J., (2016) An Introduction to Aboriginal Cultural Marketing. In Brown, K.G., Doucette, M.B., Tulk, J., Indigenous Business in Canada: Principles and Practices. Cape Breton University Press.
Brown, K., Pyke, J., Johnson, D., Doucette, M., (2015). Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Marketing: An Issue of Governance. Canadian Journal of Native Studies. Vol. 35.2. (published in 2016).
Brown, K., Luo, T. (2013). Authenticity versus Commoditization: The Chinese Experience in the UNESCO Heritage Site of Lijiang. Journal of Culture and Tourism Research Vol. 15(1).
Stephanie R. MacPherson
Senior Instructor, Bachelor of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Co-Director, World Tourism Institute at CBU
Stephanie joined the Shannon School of Business teaching in the Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management program in August 2014. Stephanie has an Accelerated Masters in Tourism Administration degree with a concentration in sustainable destination management from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Management in Hospitality and Tourism from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John Campus and a diploma in Events and Conventions Management from the Atlantic Tourism and Hospitality Institute (Holland College) in Charlottetown, PEI. Prior to joining CBU, she worked extensively in the tourism and hospitality industry and higher education in various parts of Canada and the United States.
In addition to her role as a Co-Director for the World Tourism Institute at CBU, Stephanie is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site in Joggins, Nova Scotia and on the Board of Governors for the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, NS.
Mary Jane Morrison
Instructor & Program Lead, Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Co-Director, World Tourism Institute at CBU
Mary Jane has been heavily invested in Cape Breton and its potential for many years. As a community volunteer for over twenty years, including Horizon Achievement Centre, minor hockey association, The Sydney Credit Union and The Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council, Mary Jane understands how important it is to look for growth potential and support amazing industries like tourism. As a two time Alumni of Cape Breton University, and an MBA graduate in International Business from Dalhousie University, Mary Jane has worked in several roles that supported small business. The link between university education and community outreach has always been one that she fostered.
All Institutes at CBU are provided direct input from Advisory Boards. The WTI Advisory Board is comprised of:
- Chair, The Hon. Rodney MacDonald, CEO, The Gaelic College, St. Anne’s, NS
- Vice-Chair, Tracy Menge, Benefits Officer, Mi’kmaw Rights Initiative, Eskasoni and Millbrook First Nations.
- Secretary, Terry Smith, CEO, Destination Cape Breton Association, Sydney, NS
- Robert Bernard, President and CEO, Diversity Management Group, We’koqma’q First Nation
- Darlene Grant Fiander, President, TIANS, Halifax, NS
- Michelle Bianchini, General Manager, Cambridge Suites Hotel, Sydney, NS
- Blair Pardy, Field Unit Superintendent, Parks Canada, Cape Breton
- Tyler Matthies, CEO, Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney, NS
