Senior Leadership
Honourable Leah Martin
The Honourable Leah Martin is a proud member of Millbrook First Nation and was first elected as the MLA for Cole Harbour in 2024, becoming the first Mi'kmaw MLA in Nova Scotia's history.
Before entering elected office, she served as a project coordinator with United Way's Housing and Homelessness division. In 2023, she joined the Premier's Office as Executive Assistant before becoming Special Advisor to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
With more than twenty years of volunteer leadership in community-based organizations, Minister Martin has dedicated her career to empowering youth through sport and helping thousands of people pursue healthier lives as a fitness professional. She is recognized for building strong partnerships across communities and government to advance meaningful change.
As Minister, she has worked collaboratively across government departments to advance legislation and initiatives that strengthen the prevention of intimate partner violence while supporting safer, healthier communities throughout Nova Scotia.
Minister Martin holds a Bachelor of Sociology from Dalhousie University and has professional basketball experience in Slovakia. She is the proud mother of two sons, Cole and Callum.
Portfolio Responsibilities: Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act, Minister responsible for L'nu Affairs, Minister responsible for Youth, and Minister of Communications.
Deputy Minister Craig Beaton
Craig Beaton is a senior public-sector executive with more than 23 years of experience in government, with leadership roles spanning health, social development, community services, culture and heritage. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Opportunities and Social Development in May 2024, where he provides executive leadership for a large and complex department delivering programs and services to Nova Scotians.
Prior to becoming Deputy Minister, Craig served as Associate Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness and later assumed responsibility for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. He also held several senior executive roles within Health and Wellness, including leadership of emergency health services, client services, contract management, corporate policy and planning. Craig was part of the senior executive team leading through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Craig’s career has focused on organizational transformation, improving service delivery, strengthening accountability and results, and leading organizations through complex change. Before joining Health and Wellness, he spent more than a decade with Communities, Culture and Heritage in a variety of leadership roles.
Craig holds a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University.