About Us
Our Mission and Vision
Mission:
To facilitate member firms in being leaders in serving the needs of owner-managed business in their market places in Atlantic Canada, through collective action and support.
Vision:
The AC Group is recognized as a successful organization of the leading Atlantic Canadian CPA firms serving the entire region.
We have a full range of services available to any client of an AC Group member; a culture of workplace excellence; a dynamic working relationship among member firms; and a strong collective identity.
As a result, we command respect, are the employer of choice for leading professionals in our field, and are considered formidable competition. Our opinion is sought as representing the position of business and the CPA profession in Atlantic Canada.
Governing Body
The AC Group is governed by an Executive Committee selected by the Board of Directors. The current Board of Directors is composed of:
Vicki Darragh CPA, CA, Amherst, NS
Jocelyne Dumaresq, CPA, CA, Wolfville, NS*
Peter Edwards CPA, CA, CBV, Dartmouth, NS
Debra Feltham, FCPA, FCGA, Mount Pearl, NL*
Sean Greene CPA, CA, Moncton, NB
Angela Kinley, CPA, CA Halifax, NS*
Kevin MacDonald CPA, CA, New Glasgow, NS
Paul MacNeil, CPA, CMA, CBV Bridgewater, NS
David McCain, FCPA, CA, Woodstock, NB**
Jeremy Sanford, CPA, CA, CFP, Digby, NS
Justin Strong, CPA, CA, Wolfville, NS
Lenora Timmons, CPA, CGA, Cheticamp, NS
Lori Toombs CPA, CA, St. Stephen, NB
Jennifer Ward, CPA, CA, Fredericton, NB*
Tara Wheeler, CPA, CA, Charlottetown, PE*
*Member of the Executive Committee
**Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Who We Are
Chief Executive Officer – Angus Bonnyman
Angus is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and spent a decade working for a Big Four firm across Canada, the United States, and the Czech Republic after earning his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Acadia University.
He earned his ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors through the Rotman School of Business in 2018. He has been an Employer Representative on the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia since 2014 and chairs its Finance, Audit and Risk Committee; he is a member of Divert Nova Scotia’s Board of Directors and has served as Treasurer of the Marguerite Centre., Nova Scotia’s first recovery house for women recovering from addictions and abuse; and served as Treasurer of the Public Accountants’ Board of Nova Scotia for six years.
Angus lives in Tatamagouche with his husband Michael and their cats, Tuna & Mayo.
Director of Operations – Shirley Jollimore
As the Director of Operations, Shirley is responsible for all administrative and corporate operations of the Group, as well as assisting the CEO, Board of Directors, Committees and member firms as needed.
Shirley graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University, and went on to work in such diverse fields as transportation and long-term care. Shirley spent a decade with the Government of Nova Scotia, with a focus on employee engagement. She later held a position of Executive Director in a community not-for-profit organization, and is pleased to the working with the AC Group. During the early days of the Covid pandemic, Shirley joined 211 Nova Scotia to assist vulnerable citizens find resources in their home communities.
Shirley volunteers with several organizations, including The SS Atlantic Heritage Park Society and Hal-Con Science Fiction, Fantasy and Comic Book Convention. She and her husband Peter reside in the beautiful Prospect communities.
Contact Shirley:
Email: director@acgca.ca (general inquiries)
Tax Leader – John Oakey, FCPA, FCA, TEP, CC
As our Tax Leader, John influences the development of an equitable, effective, and efficient tax mentorship group within the AC Group, as well as delivers practical information and fresh
perspectives on tax to our member firms and the broader tax community.
A strong proponent of tax education, John also aims to increase the AC Group’s reputation as the preeminent provider of core tax services in Atlantic Canada.
John’s history as a spokesperson for CPA Canada, both domestically and internationally, providing tax-related
information and perspective. He leads committees and working groups across the industry,
consulting with the federal government regarding the development and administration of federal tax
policies, while also providing thought leadership and education to our staff and to CPAs across the Atlantic Provinces, collaborating with provincial organizations to deliver quality professional development. An accomplished leader and trusted advisor, John also provided
tax training to other professionals through various organizations, including the Canadian Tax Foundation, CPA Atlantic and CPA Canada.
John has written and presented numerous articles and papers over his career and has presented at many national and regional tax conferences.
John and his wife Linda reside in Dartmouth. They are both very pleased to have John working at home in Atlantic Canada.
The AC Group of Independent Accounting Firms Limited (“The AC Group”) is a Nova Scotia corporation registered on April 7, 2005. Its objective is to provide certain administrative and professional services for participating CPA firms located throughout Atlantic Canada.
The AC Group provides no client services. Each member firm is an independent entity and has no authority to obligate or bind The AC Group or any other member firm vis-à-vis third parties, nor does The AC Group have any such authority to obligate or bind any member firm.
The AC Group also establishes standing committees to assist the Board and Chief Executive Officer in providing guidance and oversight in major functions of the Group, such as Education, Standards, Information Technology, Practice Management, Client Service, HR and Taxation. Other committees and task forces are formed on an ad hoc basis when considered appropriate.