“For he that does good, having the unlimited power to do evil, deserves praise not only for the good which he performs, but for the evil which he forbears.”
Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

Eilean Donan Castle
Share.Learn.Inspire.Transform
“For he that does good, having the unlimited power to do evil, deserves praise not only for the good which he performs, but for the evil which he forbears.”
Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
Eilean Donan Castle
Krista Phillips MBA(Leadership) Class of 2020
Krista Phillips, Clean Energy and Transportation Strategist, Government of Nova Scotia, is passionate about the development of vibrant communities. She believes that by supporting our entrepreneurs and promoting new and innovative development, our communities can be energized, dynamic, and culturally exciting places to live! A civil engineer and project management professional with over 20 years experience, Krista has worked in the environmental remediation sector across Canada. She is currently working to develop policy and programs to modernize the transportation systems in Nova Scotia, including electric and alternative fuels in both land and marine transportation.
Krista crossed the virtual state to receive her MBA(Leadership) in October 2020. CEGE Connection reached out to Krista for her thoughts on her MBA journey and how life-long learning has opened her to new opportunities.
Krista Phillips
I enrolled in the MBA program to change the direction of my career. I am an engineer and worked in the environmental consulting industry for many years. My main role was as a project, team, and client manager. I found that once I moved into a government position, I was largely seen as an exclusively technical person, which can limit opportunities for advancement and continued career growth, certainly in the direction I wanted to pursue.
Also, working in consulting had given me a background in some aspects of business management, but I found I had many questions related to senior decision making and corporate strategy. For those reasons, I decided an MBA would give me strengths in areas where I was lacking, as well as a different perspective and way of looking at both problems and opportunities.
Keeping the balance between work, study, and life required focus and a flexible mindset. When I initially considered doing an MBA, my consulting job required a lot of evenings and weekend work, and last-minute travel. With my current position I was fortunate that I had available time, which allowed me to schedule my schoolwork in such a way that I could work full time and study three or so evenings each week, working on weekends as needed. Typically, I would do all my reading and study work during the week and complete my assignments on weekends, when there were more periods of uninterrupted time.
The distance learning model used by Centre for Executive and Graduate Education for their MBA programs made it easy to schedule my own time, without having to attend a series of regular classes. I was able to study when I wanted, and still maintain a personal life.
Many people have said to me that they would have difficulty combining a full-time career with a robust academic course load. It certainly does require discipline to sidestep the temptation of procrastination, but once I became accustomed to the routine it became a part of my daily activities.
My work for the government is focused on addressing climate change through innovation, renewable energy, and clean transportation. These are all new and emerging sectors which need support to be adopted and integrated into our daily lives. The MBA(Leadership) positioned me to identify and employ strategic thinking and planning, skillsets necessary to evaluate and explore solutions for complex situations.
I now look at problems from various points of view and understand how senior leadership manages the decision-making processes. This MBA(Leadership) program helped me to change how I see each situation, to allow more room for differing opinions, and to remain flexible in my approach.
The program has a heavy focus on presentations to professors and classmates. Having delivered at least a dozen presentations has increased my confidence in public speaking events at conferences and seminars. This confidence is evident when I deliver briefings to senior executives and present my ideas to colleagues.
I chose the leadership stream of the MBA program, the direction in which my career is taking me. Whether it is in a senior executive leadership position, or simply applying my learnings while mentoring junior staff, these skills will be valuable throughout the rest of my career.
What are my next steps? Now that I have completed my MBA, this is the question I am currently exploring. I have a few ideas and avenues I am pursuing that will allow me to keep growing within an industry that I love. My goal is to make a positive impact in the climate change and clean energy sectors.
“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.”
Louis L’Amour, Lonely on the Mountain
Alana Riley MBA(FS) 2017
Ironically, at the start of the 2020 business planning year, my plan title was 20/20 VISION. I think no one could have predicted that the world would be this flipped upside down in less than 9 months. Simple social norms and customs- now a complete social faux pas. Will people ever hold the door open for each other again when no one wants to touch the handle!
Remember when we jammed into elevators, holding the door to squeeze one more person in like sardines? Now we follow arrows, look down at which box to stand in and are encouraged to be anti- social. Where does anyone meet any new connections these days? The power of human contact has a deep and impactful meaning for our emotional well being, sense of belonging and purpose and of course can impact our business success.
One of the unique aspects of the Master programs offered through Dalhousie’s Centre for Executive and Graduate Education is that it was fully functional online long before the pandemic. My journey through the MBA Blended with Financial Services was enhanced by the meaningful relationships that were formed with the current students, professors, and alumni, most of which were originally initiated online. In fact, our network continued to grow post graduation- an underground alumnus if you will!
Last year, I attended a Calgary Dalhousie Lobster Fest (who would miss fresh Atlantic lobsters) hosted by alumni representatives and had the opportunity to meet Joseph Macdonald. Joseph, MBA’91, has been championing the Dal community in the West for decades! With his encouragement, I committed to volunteering in the Dal Circle, formalizing some of our activities together and most recently was appointed as Alumni Ambassador for Calgary. I look forward to connecting and building our community. Now, more than ever, the power of connection builds resilience and courage.
Welcome to 2021, a fresh year of exciting possibilities and opportunities. Whether you are deep into your online studies, working from home or in need of personal connections, join me in bringing powerful connections together in this disconnected world.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.”
T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
January 1, 2021 marks the beginning of a new year, one that holds the realization of fresh challenges and opportunities, celebrations, and milestones. Whether or not you entertain making New Year’s resolutions, there is a reflective moment that accompanies the transition from one year to another. It is a milestone that allows us to examine the passage of time and look forward to what comes next. Whatever that may be, our efforts and energies are focused on adding to the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience. In so doing, we are active participants in creating positive outcomes, now and for future generations.
As we bid farewell to the Year 2020, the words of T.S. Eliot remind us to embrace a fresh year “that awaits another voice.” Welcome to 2021 and the many conversations that are waiting for us in the coming months.
We invite you to join the discussion.
Seasons Greetings! From all of us at CEGE Connection, we wish you the joy of family, the warmth of friends and the gifts of laughter, peace, and love.
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
Kurt Vonnegut
6100 University Avenue
This week, the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education will officially welcome new students to Dalhousie.
A Virtual Orientation session will be held for all our incoming MBA Financial Services, MBA Leadership, MPA(Management) and MIM students. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for incoming students to connect with CEGE’s program director and program support team as well as hear from a recent graduate.
We want our students to know who we are and how we can assist them on their academic journey at Dalhousie. The session will discuss the courses, feature the services available to distant students and provide an overview of Brightspace, our course management system. This is a time to celebrate our Dalhousie history and community. We promise that even the discussion of the registration regulations will be entertaining. By the end of the orientation, students will know that they are a part of the CEGE Connection.
We look forward to meeting our new students and welcoming them to the Dalhousie community.
MIM Administrative Associate Director
CEGE Acting Director
Albert ‘Buddy’ Walzak, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs
Albert ‘Buddy’ Walzak, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs
As a proud graduate of Dalhousie University (BA ’85, BSW ’87, MPA(M) ’01) I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my perspectives of the MPA(M) program and how the School of Public Administration has shaped and influenced my professional practice and development.
Today, more than ever, I have come to appreciate and value the opportunity I had in 1999. I’ve gained extensively from the MPA(M) program and pleased to see how it has evolved to its leading stature today.
In 1999, I was a member of the first cohort of the Province of Nova Scotia sponsored MPA(M) class. The newly created MPA(M) program was a joint initiative between the Province of Nova Scotia and Dalhousie University that recognized the province’s goal of promoting and investing in advanced learning for its senior ranks. Since graduating, my learning outcomes and observations of the program have held true and remain relevant some twenty years later.
There are three key aspects that I wish to highlight: high-quality learning; benefits of the teaching model; and achieving results.
Over the years, I have promoted the value of the program to other public servants and have had the opportunity to regularly share my experiences with MPA students at the School of Public Administration. I am grateful for my learning experiences at Dalhousie University and fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to give back a little – which I will continue to do.
Albert ‘Buddy’ Walzak is the Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs. He is responsible for the general administration and operations of the department. He helps lead the coordination and advancement of the province’s interests and works to maintain productive relationships with regional, national and international partners. Through these relationships, he helps advance the province’s economic, government and international objectives.
“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”
C.S. Lewis