Chris Atwood is the Executive Director of the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Yarmouth, and has been responsible for overseeing the growth of the Corporation’s loan portfolio to over 180 active loans valued in excess of $5.5 million. He has played a leading role in developing strong partnerships with other commercial lenders and the development of the PIER One Business and Employment Centre which houses many key community economic development partners in the Yarmouth area. He is currently Vice Chair of the CBDC Atlantic Association’s Atlantic Canada Community Business Investment Fund.

Prior to his work with the CBDC, Chris had worked for the South West Shore Development Authority in the capacity of Development Officer, and was primarily responsible for coordinating the Community Access Program (CAP) and agriculture development initiatives for South Western Nova Scotia. Chris has also been involved with a number of international development initiatives and has worked on Community Economic Development projects in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Moldova, Thailand, Nigeria, the former Czechoslovakia and Swaziland.

Chris is an active community volunteer and is currently serving terms as; President of the Nova Scotia Chambers of Commerce, Chair of the Yarmouth Development Corporation, Chair of the South West Nova Community Access Society and Secretary of the Atlantic Canada Community Business Investment Fund. He has also served as; President of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce and President of the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. He has sat on the Yarmouth Downtown Revitalization Planning Committee and is an active board member of the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network.

Chris is a graduate from the Nova Scotia Agriculture College and holds a BSc. (Agr) in Plant Protection. He grew up in Pictou County on the family sheep and vegetable farm.