He was appointed to the Senate of Canada on June 22, 2021, by Governor General Richard Wagner on the advice of prime minister Justin Trudeau.
He was previously the president and CEO of Saint John Port Authority and brought over 30 years of experience in the marine and public sectors to Port Saint John, where he began his career on Coast Guard (CG) ships and oil tanker ships, in 1973.
In 2002, he joined Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as Director General of Lands and was promoted through several leadership positions culminating in the Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister role.
Quinn also held the position of Chief Financial Officer at the Canadian International Development Agency before leaving government to work at Port Saint John.
He also serves as Honorary Lieutenant Colonel for the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company), 5th division army.