The Legion of Merit Award honors those outstanding members of our Fraternity who have made a lifelong commitment to the service of Phi Delta Theta. The recipients of this award are not only living testimony that Phi Delta Theta is a “Fraternity for Life,” but they are also the men who give this phrase meaning for so many of us.
Brother Robert S. McInnes was initiated into the Nova Scotia Alpha Chapter at Dalhousie University on January 10, 1983. After graduating from Dalhousie, he departed Canada and traveled to Oxford, Ohio to pursue a career with Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters as a Chapter Consultant from 1986 to 1988.
Later, during his many years as a Fraternity volunteer, Brother McInnes served Phi Delta Theta as a Province President, Survey Commissioner and President of Nova Scotia Alpha’s House Corporation. During his time as House Corporation President, Rob chaired a building campaign for Nova Scotia Alpha that raised more than $100,000 for the rebuilding of the chapter house.
Professionally, Brother McInnes is a senior management executive with decades of experience in economic and business development, project management, government relations and advocacy and media relations. He was Director of Business Growth with Nova Scotia Innovation Corporation for several years where he provided support for the economic development activities of initiatives being hosted by InNOVA Corp. Currently, Rob’s expertise spans 12 years with the Halifax Port Authority, a federal agency that fosters the development of the Port of Halifax as a national strategic transportation asset. His positions with the HPA include Economic Development Specialist, Manager of Economic Development and now Manager for Business Development.
Brother McInnes has contributed his time and talent to numerous associations and philanthropic pursuits that include, but are not limited to:
- Director of the Provincial Autism Centre in Halifax and Autism Golf Ball Chair where he has executed several fundraising and awareness-building events that have raised over $750,000 for Autism Nova Scotia.
- Coordinator for Tech and Tel Leadership Campaign – Metro United Way
- Executive Committee member for the Canadian Society of Association Executives – Nova Scotia Chapter, Halifax
- Member of National Board of Directors for ALS Society of Canada
- Member of Supply Chain Management Association
- Member of Retail Council of Canada
- Member of Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation
- Member of The Logistics Institute
For many years, Brother McInnes has played a vital role within the Phi Delta Theta Canadian Foundation, an entity that provides scholarships to undergraduate members in Canada. He presently serves as its chairman, and his leadership has resulted in substantial growth of these scholarship funds so that the Fraternity’s Canadian brothers can benefit well into the future.
Rob and his wife Joan, along with their three children, reside in Chester, Nova Scotia, where he has been actively engaged in fundraising efforts for numerous programs in the Chester community.
For his lifelong dedication and commitment to Phi Delta Theta, the Fraternity honors Brother Robert S. McInnes with the Legion of Merit.
