Our Team

Vera was born and raised on a farm in Avondale, Nova Scotia. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish with a Bachelor of Business Administration, she moved to Toronto and articled with Ernst & Young LLP, obtaining her Chartered Accountant designation in 2001. After several years in the industry, she became an independent consultant. For the past 20 years, she has provided business consulting services to a broad range of clients in various industries, from retail operations to financial institutions.

Vera’s passion for travel has taken her to over 30 countries, and she cherishes the cultural and historical lessons gleaned from these experiences. She loves helping clients see the world and enjoy their own unforgettable adventures.

Ron’s years of experience touring his own school groups led to him founding School’s Out Tours. He taught junior and senior high school students for 31 years in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and toured his concert bands, jazz bands and choirs to festivals and other music performance opportunities across Canada, the United States, England, Ireland and France. Ron also operated Atlantic Festival of Music in Halifax for 28 successful years. School’s Out Tours was born in response to requests from teachers planning trips to the Festival and has grown to now serve groups travelling across Canada, the United States, and beyond.

In 2017 Ron received the National Band Award from the Canadian Band Association in recognition of his outstanding contribution to band at the educational, community and professional level in Canada, and in 2023 he received, with Mike Morrissey, Honourary Lifetime Memberships to Nova Scotia Band Association.

Mike Morrissey studied both business administration and music at Acadia University and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He taught instrumental music at all levels of the public school system in Nova Scotia before embarking on a business career that has spanned more than 35 years. He served as VP Marketing & Product Development with Gordon Shaw Concrete Ltd, VP Administration for Enco-Tec Environmental and President of both M3 Group Inc and MC Spicer Security.

During his business career Mr. Morrissey stayed very involved as a performer and volunteer with bands, orchestras and ensembles throughout the Maritimes. He also traveled throughout North America, South America and Europe.

Eventually his business, travel and music interests merged when he partnered with his close friend from university, Ron Murphy, to become Festival Director with the Atlantic Festivals of Music and co-owner of Schools Out Tours.

A ‘few’ years ago another music teacher connected Mike with a young woman named Susan on a blind date. They have now been married for over 35 years and have two grown children – Michael who has pursued an IT career and Paige who is a registered Music Therapist.

David was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI. His family owned and operated Myron’s, a local restaurant and night club. David experienced every job position in the restaurant business starting at the age of twelve, from Dishwasher to General Manager. He was also awarded the first Domino’s Pizza
franchise location for PEI in 1991 and owned and operated the business until 1998.

David graduated with a degree in Business Administration from UPEI in 1985. He later took advanced accounting and tax courses through the CMA program at Saint Mary’s University.

David has worked part-time since 2010 as School’s Out Tours and Atlantic Festivals of Music Accountant. He has over 25 years experience as a Financial Controller, including 16 years with HGS Canada Inc.

David recently accepted the role as School’s Out Tours Manager. He is excited about his new role, and looks forward to working more closely with SOT Tour Planners and clients.

Christine’s family owned a travel company so she grew up in the travel industry and developed a passion for the business at a young age. She has done it all – planning individual, group and corporate travel, as well as her current work planning travel for school groups.  She enjoys tackling the challenges that arise when planning student travel like creating complicated itineraries and planning travel to new and unfamiliar destinations.

She enjoys building relationships with her clients over the course of planning their trips, getting to know their likes and dislikes and quickly learning what they need and what works best for them. She is determined that your trip work well for you and your students!

Christine’s own travel preferences include cruising and travel to Florida and the Caribbean. She looks forward to exploring Europe in the future. She lives in beautiful PEI and works from her home office, with the “help” of Clara the rambunctious golden retriever.

Jennifer joined School’s Out Tours in 2022 after a career working for government and health services in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. She has worked in planning, program development and direct service delivery to clients. These experiences and her skills in organization and coordination are being put to good use at SOT.

Her favourite part of tour planning is hearing about how excited students are about their upcoming trips. She also likes writing and creating itineraries for clients. Jennifer appreciates the way SOT members work together and share their experience to plan the best tours for the clients.

She often works with a Diet Coke on her desk and Reggie the golden doodle napping nearby.

Glynis comes to School’s Out Tours with experience in a variety of areas of business, including time as a small business owner. She is especially strong in relationship development with both clients and suppliers. She has been with School’s Out Tours for three years and in that time has planned trips to various places across Canada and in the United States.

Glynis is no stranger to travel herself; some of her favourite destinations include New York, Las Vegas and the Caribbean. Glynis lives in rural PEI with her husband, daughter, and favourite feline Cheddar.

Joseph Cormier is a retired band director and instrumental music teacher, from Halifax Regional School Board, with over 44 years in Instrumental Music and Band. In addition to his work with Schools Out Tours, he continues to work passionately, part time, as a Band and Brass Clinician for Halifax Regional Arts.

Mr. Cormier is the recipient of numerous music and education awards including several Outstanding Band Director and Conductor awards from The Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festival, MusicFest Canada, Ovations Music Festivals in Toronto, and The Heritage International Music Festivals in both New York City and Boston. 

In 2012 he was awarded The Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Music Education and Band. In 2013, He received The Nova Scotia Music Educators Lifetime Achievement Award. His passion for music, education, and travel continues.

Barb Hopkin graduated from University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Musical Arts and a Bachelor of Education in 1984. Over the next three summers she completed the University of Calgary’s Wind Conducting Diploma Program, followed by a summer course in the Saito Conducting Method. She also participated for seven years in the Creative Music Workshop under Jerry Grannelli, which occurs during the Halifax Jazz Festival, learning how to incorporate creative music into the high school curriculum. Barb taught in the Halifax County/ Halifax Regional Municipality School Board for 34 years, teaching at a variety of schools and grades from 6 to 12. Barb was involved in curriculum development and piloting new curriculum into various grade levels throughout her teaching career. She has taken bands on tours to various locations including Atlantic Canada and New York. After retirement Barb managed the young artist program at the Scotia Festival. She now really enjoys taking bands on tours, drawing on her experience with young people and managing school tours during her teaching career.

Michael MacDonald is a former conductor and music educator with the Halifax Regional Center for Education, where he taught Music from grades Primary to 12. He holds degrees from Dalhousie University, St. Mary’s University and Berklee College of Music. In addition to his classroom teaching, Michael has conducted numerous choirs including Elementary, Jazz Choir and Youth Choirs. He has presented workshops throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, and has served as guest conductor for the NS Choral Federation’s Junior Choir Camp. Michael has also served as a judge for the Canadian Juno Awards in the Vocal Jazz category.

Michael’s performance credits include dinner theatre, musicals, local choirs and bands. He has also directed many musicals and has provided sound reinforcement for numerous productions.