Celeste Gotell
Executive Director

With a career that has spanned 35 years in the not-for-profit and public health sectors, Celeste Gotell is a visionary, a strategic thinker and an accomplished team leader. She has close to 20 years’ experience serving as an Executive Director for four different provincial organizations and also has experience as a program funder at the national level and several years’ experience working for Nova Scotia Health.

Celeste is a three-time graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax and an advocate of life-long learning. In addition to a BA, she has a degree in Social Work, a Masters in Adult Education and a National Certificate in Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector Management. She is trained in Mentorship and Coaching, Conflict Resolution, Appreciative Inquiry, Third Party Neutral Mediation, Public Engagement, Mental Health First Aid, Diversity and Inclusion, Gender Violence, Trauma Informed Care, and Health Equity. She is a certified True Colours Trainer and has extensive experience in Board Governance Training, strategic planning processes and group facilitation.

Her experience in community development has involved many complex determinants of health including seniors’ mental health and social isolation, poverty, housing, community transportation and food security as well as gender violence, anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion. She is a skilled and effective community developer and leader, and has extensive experience with government officials, seniors, youth, community volunteers, and many teams. 

Celeste became involved with One Plane Away when she learned about the organization on a trip to Iqaluit and in November 2023 joined the team in a part-time role as Executive Director.

She lives in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Her hobbies include travel, reading, spending time with family and friends, crafts and working on social justice issues as a volunteer.