Phone                              (902) 896-7270

Email                               ksandeson@nsac.ca

Specialty Areas            

Communications/Facilitation

Strategic Marketing

Business Functions Support

Education                     

B.Sc., Foods and Nutrition, University of Prince Edward Island

M.Sc., Rural Extension Studies, University of Guelph

As Director, Business Support Services, Laurie Sandeson is responsible for coordinating the Centre's business operations needs related to human resources, requests for proposals and processing of tenders, and physical and IT operating infrastructure. She also provides support with strategic marketing efforts and serves on the Board of Directors of the Colchester Regional Development Agency. Laurie is also Director, AgriTECH Park Inc., the agribio-science business incubator research park of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. In this role, she is responsible for providing leadership in identifying and exploring opportunities to develop and grow new bio-based businesses in the life science's sector in Atlantic Canada, and providing business support services to the Park's incubator clients.

Laurie has been working in the agricultural sector for over 20 years. She began her career with the PEI provincial 4-H program and then accepted a position as marketing and consumer consultant with the pork producers of Nova Scotia. Laurie then enjoyed many years with the NS Department of Agriculture and Marketing as market development officer. Laurie lives on a family farm in Lower Truro so has a keen appreciation of the industry challenges and opportunities. In 1999, Laurie was recipient of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologist's “Outstanding Young Agrologist Award”. She accepted a position as director of NSAC's AgriTECH Park in 2001. Under her leadership, AgriTECH Park has seen considerable development over the past several years including infrastructure improvements, new business tenants and access to NSAC's IT network through wireless technology. 

Laurie's special interests include the development of novel health food products using indigenous agri-food resources with a particular focus on healthy foods for children and seniors.