GUELPH, ON – The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is preparing for a year of growth and opportunities for the agri-food sector with a new leader at the helm. Peggy Brekveld has been elected as OFA’s 32nd President and the third female President in the organization’s history. She will serve in the position for a one-year term.
“I look forward to working with our entire team across the organization to continue to bring the message that agriculture is the number one industry and economic driver in Ontario,” said Peggy Brekveld, OFA President.
For the first time in OFA history, the executive committee was elected by the board of directors following a bylaw ratification that was voted on by the delegates during the annual meeting. The change to the organization’s governance model came as a result of the implementation of bylaw 20-1. The new bylaw has fundamentally changed the way OFA elects its President and two Vice President positions.
Peggy is a northern Ontario farmer and has previously held the position of Vice President of OFA for six years. Along with her presidency, Peggy will also hold the position of OFA’s Director-at-Large. Apart from her role at OFA, Peggy serves as Vice President of the Agricultural Adaptation Council. Recently recognized as one of the six 2020 Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture, Peggy and her family own and operate Woodstar Farm, a 75-cow dairy operation near Thunder Bay. She is known as an advocate for diversity in the agriculture sector and will prove to be a strong female role model for the organization.
OFA is also proud to announce that Mark Reusser has been re-elected by the board of directors as Vice President for his fifth one-year term. Filling the other Vice President position is Drew Spoelstra. Drew, who is newly elected to the Vice President position, previously served in the role of Executive Member for the past four years. Rounding out the executive committee is Crispin Colvin, who will hold the position of Executive Member.
Source : OFA