Amanda Penney: Winner of CANS 2025 Community Leader award

Amanda Penney champions initiatives that strengthen Nova Scotia communities—showing that meaningful impact begins with intentional action. Her career reflects a deep belief in the potential of people.

After spending a decade in Canada’s North, where she volunteered on suicide hotlines, coached youth sports, and worked in emergency services, Penney developed a profound understanding of systemic challenges and the importance of inclusion.

Her transition into HR came when someone recognized her strengths and offered mentorship. That opportunity sparked a career dedicated to helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential. Today, as vice-president of people and culture at Lindsay Construction, Penney leads strategic initiatives that foster growth and well-being while ensuring Lindsay’s values are lived every day.

“I’ve always cared about people and been fascinated by how we’re capable of more than we think,” Penney says. “Growth happens when we step into uncomfortable situations.”

Penney’s approach to leadership and community engagement is rooted in her personal values—wellness, inclusion and courage. Family experiences with mental illness and disability shaped her perspective, reinforcing the importance of creating environments where people feel supported.

These values guide her involvement with causes that matter most, including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada and the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation. Both organizations hold deep personal significance, and Penney sees her work as a way to make life count by stepping beyond comfort zones.

As board chair of the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation, Penney has helped expand programs that promote active living across Nova Scotia. She points to Kids Run Club as one of the most rewarding initiatives, describing it as “free, accessible and inspiring—kids can walk, wheel, or run, and family members often join in.” The foundation’s evolution to include Make Your Move programs has extended this impact to workplaces, including Lindsay Construction, where walking meetings and movement challenges are now part of the culture.

“It’s macro, affecting the province, and micro, practicing what we preach in our own company,” she adds.

While large-scale programs can create systemic change, Penney believes grassroots efforts are equally vital. Her support for Snookie’s Socks, a local initiative providing warm socks to unhoused individuals, reflects this philosophy that small acts matter.

“Sometimes we don’t do anything because there’s so much to do and we don’t know where to start,” she says. “Just one person doing one thing makes a difference.”

By rallying employees to donate, assemble care packages and deliver items to shelters, Penney creates opportunities for meaningful engagement that connect people to the communities they serve.

Penney doesn’t claim to have all the answers for how organizations should approach community engagement. Instead, she focuses on connecting actions to values and creating opportunities for employees to participate in ways that matter to them.

“It’s easy to write a cheque or send people to an event—and those things help—but the real impact comes when people feel connected to why we do it,” she explains.

Her advice for professionals is simple: start small.

“The world is full of big issues, and it’s easy to feel paralyzed. But small acts matter—check on your neighbour, volunteer at a kitchen, bring kindness into your day-to-day. Consistent small acts add up over time.”

Penney’s vision for the future includes advancing Lindsay Construction’s leadership development programs and guiding the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation’s strategic plan through 2028. Her focus remains clear: fostering healthier, more inclusive communities while empowering individuals to reach their full potential.

Amanda Penney’s story is one of purpose-driven leadership and unwavering community commitment. By recognizing her contributions today, we set the stage to celebrate more individuals who embody these values in the future—because building stronger communities takes all of us.