The Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. (IAF) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new executive. Stuart Wilson assumes the position of chair, and Derek Janzen becomes vice-chair. New to the executive are Bar Hayre taking on the responsibilities of treasurer, and Peter Levelton in the role of secretary.
“IAF is committed to supporting eligible projects all along the agriculture and agri-food value chain to enable the industry to innovate, proactively seize new opportunities and deal with emerging issues,” said incoming chair Stuart Wilson. “It is imperative that the interests of the entire agri-food sector are reflected in our decisions, therefore it is critical that our leadership – our board and our executive – have broad industry representation.”
About the new executive:
Stuart Wilson, who represents the post farm gate sector, joined the IAF board in 2006. He previously served as treasurer of the board. Stuart spent two years in the private sector, working at Sun Rype Foods, Dairyland and Lipton Puritan, and has 32 years of experience with the federal government working for Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). He served as regional director with CFIA and has represented Canadian agriculture on missions to France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Stuart has served on the executives of North American organizations aimed at resolving regulatory issues surrounding the movement of agriculture commodities to and from British Columbia. Stuart is semi-retired and currently works as a financial consultant in Surrey.
Derek Janzen joined the IAF board in 2006, representing the poultry sector. Derek owns and operates a poultry farm in Aldergrove and a trucking company that transports chickens from farms in the Fraser Valley to processing facilities in Vancouver. Derek is a director with the B.C. Chicken Marketing Board. He previously served as secretary on the IAF board. He has also contributed to the IAF programs through his involvement in the Livestock Waste Tissue and Poultry Biosecurity initiatives. He and his family reside in Aldergrove.
Bar Hayre is one of three horticulture representatives on the IAF board. He joined the board in 2006, representing the berry, field vegetable and mushroom sectors. Bar is a member of the B.C. Raspberry Industry Development Council and the B.C. Blueberry Council. He became involved in the industry through his family’s berry farm and later through Fraser Valley Packers Ltd., a berry processing plant. He also serves as an account manager with Farm Credit Canada in Surrey. Bar lives in Abbotsford on a 40-acre blueberry and raspberry farm.
Peter Levelton joined the IAF board in 2007 to represent the greenhouse, floriculture & nursery sectors. Since 1987, Peter and his wife Jane have owned and operated East Richmond Nurseries, now a leading supplier to landscapers, garden centres and wholesale nurseries throughout B.C. and the Pacific Northwest. Currently the environment chair for the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Peter spent six years as president and vice-president of the B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association. He has also served on the executives of the Kinsmen Club of Richmond and the Richmond Youth Soccer organization.
The IAF is an independent, industry-led not-for-profit organization that manages and distributes federal and provincial funds in support of innovative projects to benefit the agriculture and agri-food industries in B.C. To learn more about the Investment Agriculture Foundation and the funding programs it administers, please visit www.iafbc.com.
