Alberta Grains board chair Tara Sawyer will take a leave of absence from her role effective immediately following her appointment by Premier Danielle Smith as the United Conservative Party (UCP) candidate for the Olds–Didsbury–Three Hills by-election. As outlined in Alberta Grains’ governance procedures, vice-chair Scott Jespersen will assume the role of acting chair.
Sawyer, a wheat and barley farmer from Acme, Alberta, was elected as Alberta Grains’ inaugural chair in 2023 after the amalgamation of the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley. Her leadership helped guide the organization through its formation and establish a strong foundation for research, policy and farmer engagement across the province.
“It has been an honour to represent Alberta’s wheat and barley farmers and help lead this organization during such a transformative time,” said Sawyer. “I’m proud of what our board has accomplished together and am confident in the strength of the leadership team taking the reins while I pursue this opportunity to continue serving Albertans in a new capacity.”
With Sawyer’s departure, vice-chair Scott Jespersen will assume the role of acting chair. Jespersen, a grain farmer from Spruce Grove, Alberta, serves as a Region 5 director with Alberta Grains and brings several years of experience on the board. During that time, he has played a key role in advancing Alberta Grains’ strategic priorities of innovative research, market development, policy advocacy, farm business management, agronomy and extension.
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