United Potato Growers of Canada elect new officers, directors

United Potato Growers of Canada has elected a new chair and named new officers and directors.

At the organization’s annual general meeting in March, Wayne Rempel, CEO and president of Kroeker Farms in Manitoba was elected chair after several years serving as secretary. He succeeds potato grower Ray Keenen of Rollo Bay Holdings in Prince Edward Island, who held the position for many years and is remaining as past chair.

“I am honored to be able to serve as chair of United Potato Growers of Canada,” Rempel said in news release. “I have been involved with UPGC since its inception and have seen the benefits to all potato growers in Canada.”

Gord Medynski, director of sales, purchasing and business development of Dolbec Potatoes in Quebec, was named vice chair. Medynski has served as UPGC director for several years and is the vice president of the Fresh Committee and on the five- member Executive Board of Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre du Quebec.

Matt Hemphill, executive director of Potatoes New Brunswick, is the new treasurer, while Greg Donald, general manager of the PEI Potato Board, is the new secretary.

Rempel, who has worked at Kroeker Farms since 1988, became the company’s first non-family CEO in June of 2002. He is a director on the Peak of the Market board and is an active member of other committees including within the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada and the Canadian Potato Council.

Newly elected UPGC directors include:

• Michelle Flis (director, Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre du Quebec)
• Dan Sawatsky (manager, Keystone Potato Producers Association)
• Kevin Brubacher (general manager, Ontario Potato Board)
• Shawn Brenn (chair, Ontario Potato Board)
• John Visser (chair, PEI Potato Board)
• Rachel Durepos (Atlantic Potato Distributors Ltd., New Brunswick)
• Terence Hochstein (executive director, Potato Growers of Alberta)
• Matthew Lawless (president, Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association)
• Kevin Nickel (vice president, Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association)
• Hugh Reynolds (Reynalda Farms, Delta, British Columbia)
• Cory Gerrard (Swenson Farms, Delta, British Columbia)