Tom Urbaniak, PhD, is a respected author on public policy and grassroots action. Professor of political science, director of the Tompkins Institute and university parliamentarian at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia, he has chaired several local and national non-profit organizations, including the National Trust for Canada and Faith & the Common Good (national inter-faith network). A leader in the Polish community in Atlantic Canada, Tom works effectively with diverse communities. He has served as an official Canadian election observer in Ukraine and is a recipient of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal for his volunteer service to his community, his province and to Canada.