Agency Elects New Members and Marketing Committee at AGM
Calgary, AB (August 18, 2021) – The Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency (the Agency) is pleased to announce the Agency Board, following the virtual Annual General Meeting on August 17, 2021.
The 2020/21 Agency Members have been announced as:
| Primary Producers: | Canadian Meat Council: | |
| Terry Wiebe, British Columbia | Russ Mallard, Atlantic Beef Products | |
| Jeff Smith, Alberta | Andre Forget, Montpak | |
| Sheila Hillmer, Alberta | Mike Kennedy, Cargill | |
| Chad Ross, Saskatchewan | John Curtis, St. Helen’s Meat Packers | |
| Mary Paziuk, Manitoba | ||
| Jack Chaffe, Ontario | Retail and Foodservice: | |
| Kirk Jackson, Quebec | Steve Christie, Sysco Canada | |
| Trevor Welch, New Brunswick | ||
| Larry Weatherby, Nova Scotia | I.E. Canada: | |
| David Francis, Prince Edward Island | Coral Manastersky, Maple Leaf Foods |
Re-elected Chair Chad Ross of Saskatchewan is committed to delivering measurable results for Canada’s beef and veal industry.
“The past 18 months have been challenging for our industry,” said Ross. “The Agency continues to be committed to delivering the best returns we can for check-off and import levy investments for the betterment of our industry.”
Melinda German, General Manager of the Agency, feels confident that the Agency’s commitment to transparency and sound structure continues to provide a stable foundation for the organization.
“The Agency welcomes the opportunity to continue to work with other agricultural groups and we have set the stage to grow relationships as we take on new projects the administration of Canada’s pork import levy,” said German.
Agency priorities for the upcoming year will focus on the completion of a refreshed five-year return on investment study for check-off and import levy dollars and the benefits the industry sees from those investments, and the strengthening of the Agency’s compliance program. These priorities are a part of the Agency’s ongoing commitment to transparent administration.
Joining Ross again on the Agency’s Executive Committee will be Jeff Smith of Alberta as Vice-Chair, Larry Weatherby of Nova Scotia as Governance Chair and Kirk Jackson of Quebec as Finance Chair.
The Agency’s Marketing Committee also elected one new and one returning Member-at-Large this year.
The Marketing Committee is responsible for planning and establishing Canada Beef’s strategic, business and operational goals and objectives and for the overall management and operation of the business and affairs.
The Marketing Committee is made of the following individuals:
| Elected: | Appointed: | |
| Cameron Blake, Member at Large | Mike Kennedy, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Becky Bevacqua, Member at Large | John Curtis, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Hubert Lau, Member at Large | Russ Mallard, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Mike Guest, Member at Large | Andre Forget, Canadian Meat Council | |
| Jack Chaffe, Beef Farmers of Ontario | Coral Manastersky, I.E. Canada | |
| David Francis, PEI Cattle Producers | Steve Christie, Retail and Foodservice | |
| Jennifer Haley, Veal Farmers of Ontario |
The Marketing Committee also elected their Executive Committee, including Mike Kennedy as Chair, Coral Manastersky as Vice-Chair and Russ Mallard as Finance Chair.
The Agency would like to recognize Doug Sawyer and Helen Langford for their service to the Agency and Marketing Committee, respectively. Both brought valuable experience to their roles, and the industry can be proud of the work they put in at the Agency and Marketing Committee.
The Agency’s 2020/21 Annual Report is available online at www.cdnbeefcheckoff.ca.
The Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency manages and administers the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off and the beef import levy. By working with core partners, the Agency ensures that check-off dollars are invested into research, market development and promotion programs that deliver measurable value to the Canadian beef industry. The Agency is responsible for communicating the value of the check-off and import levy investments, as well as training and education of producers and funding partners, regulatory management, collection and administration of check-off dollars.
For more information, please contact:
Tayla Fraser
Manager, Partner Engagement
(403) 275-5890
tfraser@cdnbeefcheckoff.ca