Colin has worked in the financial services industry since 1992. Colin is a graduate of St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in accounting. He is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) (CPA) and Certified Financial Planner® Professional. As part of his commitment to you, he makes it a priority to attend national conferences on topics of investments, insurance*, and financial planning.

Colin’s years of experience give him the knowledge and ability to help people truly understand their circumstances and make informed decisions. The one thing do-it-yourselfers find difficult to do well is to achieve the perspective required to make sound decisions. He can offer the perspective to help you accomplish your financial goals.

Dan has worked in the financial services industry since 1995, focusing on investment and financial planning since 2000. Dan graduated from Université Sainte-Anne with a Bachelor in Business Administration in 1994, obtained the Certified Financial Planner® Professional designation in 2002 and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM®) designation in 2015.

Dan’s education and work experience, and expertise in T1 tax preparation* and planning, makes him uniquely qualified to provide unbiased financial advice to individuals and families who are particularly concerned about saving for the future, minimizing taxation and protecting their family from critical financial events.

*Tax Preparation Services are provided through White LeBlanc Wealth Inc., A Verecan company.

A graduate of Saint Mary’s University with a Master’s in Business Administration, Matthew Kempton solidified his commitment to the financial services industry by going on to achieve a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. With nearly 15 years of experience in the financial sector, Matt has dedicated more than 11 years to the intricacies of wealth management. His passion lies in providing individuals and families with tailored financial guidance to help them achieve their unique goals. 

Beyond his professional endeavors, Matt is an active member of the Dartmouth Rotary Club and serves as a board member at the Greater Burnside Business Association. These roles reflect his dedication to community engagement and his contribution to local growth and development. 

In their precious spare time, Matt enjoys embarking on adventures with his wife, Michele, and their young son, Dean. These family explorations not only create lasting memories but also underscore the importance of balancing life and finances. 

Matt’s commitment to education, wealth of experience in financial services, and active role in his community underscore his drive to foster growth and help others achieve financial success. 

Amanda’s professional career began as a Financial Services Manager in automotive sales, where she provided advice and financing options to clients while purchasing their vehicles. She then shifted to the financial services sector as a licensed assistant and worked hard to recently achieve the role of Associate Portfolio Manager.

Professionally, she’s passionate about building long-lasting relationships with clients and providing sound financial guidance to clients to help them achieve their financial goals. 

She’s a foodie who loves trying new restaurants, watching the Food Network and trying out new recipes at home. When she’s not in the office, you’ll likely find Amanda walking on trails in the HRM with her husband and golden retriever, Louie.  

Giving back to the community is also very important to Amanda, who supports organizations, including Challenger Baseball and Freedom Kitchen.

Richard is a key member of the investment team. His main areas of emphasis are conducting company research on prospective investments, providing insights into industry and economic conditions and evaluating and monitoring funds we invest in.

On the practice’s wealth and retirement planning side, Richard focuses on working with business owners and professionals. Over a 35-year career, he has worked in many fields, including taxation, business banking, accounting and business brokerage. He has also been involved in several business start-ups and has helped many owners with the successful sale of their businesses. This background and experience have given him a lot of insight into the unique challenges and needs of business owners, and he endeavours to take a holistic and individualized approach to clients’ situations.

Finally, Richard is our in-house tax planning professional and can help with all your tax planning needs.

Shawna’s extensive background in the financial services industry began in 1997 after becoming licensed with IIROC and starting her career at Beacon Securities Ltd. Throughout her career, Shawna has held senior positions with multiple organizations in the financial services industry, including DundeeWealth, Hollis Wealth and Assante Wealth Management. 

Shawna has a reputation for achieving results with an emphasis on team development and relationships. She has a proven track record of leadership, managing corporate risk, building employee engagement, and implementing & leading the success of major corporate initiatives.

Shawna sat on IIROC’s NS District Council for eight years and served as Chairperson representing Nova Scotia on IIROC’s National Advisory Committee for 2 years.

Fun fact about Shawna that you might not know — she’s a huge Walt Disney World fan. She loves WDW for the attention to detail – from taking care of guests to honouring the past with little touches all around the parks to the completely immersive experience of being there. One of her favourite quotes is by Walt Disney, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible” — we think that’s fitting based on her track record of getting results!

Tracy has been in the financial industry since 1997. She left a role in compliance to join the team in 2013. This provided her with the opportunity to focus on the part of the industry she loves the most – client relationships. She believes that trust is the foundation of all great relationships and is committed to ensuring that each client interaction is an opportunity to continue building on that foundation.

Tracy brings her wealth of knowledge to our clients every day; whether it’s by answering an email or researching a complex issue, she strives to deliver an answer accurately and promptly. Her dedication to the details ensures that all of our client’s information is up to date so we can provide better-informed opinions to our clients.

Tracy loves a good book and watching her daughter play soccer year-round. Tracy and her husband, Rob, enjoy spending time at their cottage on the Bay of Fundy and walking their Lab, Olly.

Jasmine graduated from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, with a graduate diploma in Professional Financial Services. She has over six years of experience in providing client assistance in the finance and servicing sectors. Before joining Verecan, she worked as an insurance professional for TD and Manulife Insurance.

She is passionate about working collaboratively with financial planners to support administrative chores and provide exceptional client care, which led to this opportunity.

In her spare time Jasmine enjoys travelling, eating, and collecting moments with her husband and family. She is the mother of a lovely boy named Aaryah.

Sadie has been serving our clients in Nelson since 2007. In 2016 she embarked on a new role within our team and has continued to expand her responsibilities. Her problem-solving abilities are second to none, and she has proved to be an invaluable part of our team’s success. Today, Sadie is responsible for company-wide operations as well as day-to-day management and professional development of the administrative team across Canada.

Sadie was born and raised in Nelson, BC and is a proud supporter of the community, serving as a member of the local Rotary Club and the Kootenay Swim Club. Sadie is a loving mother to Sawyer and Grayson, who are also growing up to appreciate Nelson and enjoy an active Kootenay lifestyle.  

Laura began her career in the financial services industry as an insurance assistant. She obtained her insurance licence in 2018 and joined our team in May of 2019. She currently serves our clients in an administrative capacity, with a keen focus on providing outstanding client service.

Laura’s interest in the industry has lead her to take on additional courses and training that provides her with additional insight and perspective that makes her a valuable member of the team.

Writer, process enthusiast, and researcher are just a few of the many attributes that make Paula Altenburg an asset to our team. Joining the team in 2022, Paula brings over 35 years of experience in proposal management, program/project management, publications management, and document management in the aerospace & defence and aviation industries. A University of King’s College/Dalhousie University alum, Paula also holds a certification in proposal management and project management training. 

Professionally, she’s process-focused — she firmly believes processes should be dynamic and continuously recorded, monitored, and adapted to be most effective. She likes things to be “neat, tidy & functional.”  

Paula is a USA Today bestselling author in commercial fiction and teaches non-credit writing courses for beginners through local writers’ organizations and universities. If she’s not writing or talking about writing, she’s reading. She also enjoys researching and is currently focused on the fighting techniques in the Napoleonic Age. She also enjoys travelling and appreciates art galleries and museums.