Egg Farmers Of Ontario Announces 2021-2022 Board Of Directors
NEWS RELEASE
Mississauga, April 7, 2021 – Egg Farmers of Ontario (EFO) re-elected Scott Helps as its Chair and Dan Veldman as its Vice Chair on a video conference call held in connection with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 31, 2021. Scott Brookshaw and Tonya Haverkamp were also elected to the Executive.
Scott Helps, an egg farmer from Wyoming, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2012 and has been Chair since 2020. Dan Veldman, an egg farmer from Embro, Ontario has been on EFO’s Board since 2011 and Vice Chair since 2020.
EFO’s Board of Directors consists of 11 farmer-elected representatives. Two members of the Board decided not to seek re-election at local Zone meetings held earlier in the year, Craig Hunter, of Brockville, and Marc Bourdon of Maxville. Their terms as Board members ended at the AGM.
For the second consecutive year, the COVID-19 pandemic meant holding the AGM virtually with more than 250 egg and pullet farmers, as well as industry stakeholders, participating in the event.
"Last year, when we delayed our annual meeting until June, I don’t think any of us thought that we would still be forced to hold virtual meetings this year,” said EFO Chair Scott Helps. “The pandemic turned every aspect of life upside down. Our sector had its share of challenges, but overall I think we should appreciate that we were more fortunate than many others.
I would like to thank every single person in our supply chain that worked so diligently to protect the health of all of the people that work together in our complex system to bring our eggs to consumers”, Helps said. “We want to acknowledge all the essential workers – especially in the public-facing areas right up to retail workers – who never really received the recognition they should have for keeping Canada’s food supply working.”
The meeting was opened by Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman, followed by video greetings from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Some of the other speakers included Yvon Cyr of the Farm Products Council of Canada,Amy Cronin, Chair of the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission, Roger Pelissero, Chair of Egg Farmers of Canada, Chad Gregory from the United Egg Producers, Ian McFall, Executive Vice President of Sales for Burnbrae Farms, Alvin Brunsveld, Ontario Pullet Director and Tonya Haverkamp and Kristen Thompson-Dow, Co-Chairs of the Pullet Industry Committee.
EFO’s Board of Directors for 2021-2022 are as follows:
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Helps applauded the organization’s ability to adapt to virtual discussions and decision-making during the pandemic. “Board meetings quickly switched to Zoom and teleconference calls to maintain communications and consultation processes that are critical for input to Board policy development,” Helps said.
Helps also welcomed Ryan Brown who joined EFO as General Manager on March 1st of this year. In closing, Helps said, “Here’s hoping – in light of the ongoing vaccination rollout – that we can all meet in person in 2022!”
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Egg Farmers of Ontario represents the more than 500 egg farmers and pullet growers in Ontario. It is an independent, self-governing organization funded entirely by egg and pullet farmers.