Rural roots and Lebanese heritage

Zach was born and raised in Yarmouth. He is a descendant of Lebanese immigrants and the son of a hard-working teacher and entrepreneur. Zach’s upbringing instilled in him the core values that guide him to this day: being true to your beliefs and giving back to your community. Zach attended St. Mary’s University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. It was in school that he saw opportunities to speak up for others on issues of equality and the need for access to education for everyone. Building on his experience as a student leader, Zach joined the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), representing students across Canada. At the age of 26, Zach saw an opportunity to return to his roots in Yarmouth and begin to tackle some of the challenges and opportunities his community faced. He was elected in a by-election in 2010 and has since represented his community as their MLA for 12 years. He has been a community-focused representative and his dedication to his constituents is demonstrated in having been elected four times with some of the largest margins of victory amongst his MLA colleagues. Zach currently lives in Yarmouth with his wife Katie, who is an Optometrist and small business owner, and their two young daughters, Cecelia and Eva.