BA (Vind), BEd (Dalhousie), BJ (Vind), LLB (Dalhousie), DCL (Vind)
The Honourable Darrell Dexter, former Premier of Nova Scotia, is Vice Chair with Global Public Affairs and Honorary Distinguished Fellow with the MacEachen Institute at Dalhousie University. Darrell joined Global Public Affairs in 2015 and is a senior member of the Global team, working with the firm’s public affairs experts across the country.
Darrell assumed the leadership of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NDP) in 2001 and led it to form the first-ever provincial NDP government in Atlantic Canada, becoming the 27th Premier of Nova Scotia. As Premier, he earned praise for launching a renewable energy strategy, progressive social policy, controlling spending and reducing small business taxes. Darrell oversaw ambitious new environmental policies and was presented with a Climate Leadership in Canada award at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As Chair of the Council of the Federation from 2012-13, Darrell worked on key initiatives such as leading an economic trade mission to China, establishing the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and improving the flow of interprovincial trade.
A lawyer by background, Darrell also worked as a journalist and served in the Canadian Armed Forces before launching his career in public service, spending 15 years in the Nova Scotia Legislature as an MLA. In the course of his work as an elected official, party leader, Leader of Nova Scotia’s Official Opposition, and Premier, Darrell was engaged on critical issues and discussions related to energy and resource development, housing, transportation, healthcare, the environment, infrastructure, and the economy.
Since leaving public life, Darrell has been active with various organizations on democracy-building and governance projects. He led two international election observer missions to Tunisia in 2014. He was an OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observer in Ukraine. He is currently Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Alderney Landing Cultural Centre and serves on the Board of The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
Darrell holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Dalhousie University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College. He subsequently earned his law degree from Dalhousie University in 1987.