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BC AGRIFOOD

AND SEAFOOD

CONFERENCE 2016

Growing the Future Together

Speaker Biographies

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BC AGRIFOOD AND SEAFOOD CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

The B.C. Agrifood and Seafood Conference: Growing the Future Together was held at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna on November 14-15, 201, bringing together over 300 participants, 37 expert speakers and 17 innovative exhibitors to share their expertise and insight on the role they and others can play in strengthening food supply security and supporting continued growth of B.C.’s agrifood and seafood sector. Conference speakers included agri-entrepreneurs and business executives, tech leaders and business developers, distribution and retail companies, government representatives, and research and policy leaders from universities, not-for-profits and research organizations. Organized by session, biographies for each conference speaker are presented below.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Session 1: Branding and Marketing Session Roger Nairn Business Director, Karacters Design Group Roger Nairn is a Business Director at Karacters Design Group, a Division of DDB Canada. In 2015 his team was inducted into the Rebrand Hall of Fame. Roger is a problem solver, strategist, and “finder of new ways” that has experience advising clients and building brands for: Saputo, Dairy Farmers of Canada, BC Egg Marketing Board, BC Salmon Farmers Association, Skuna Bay, Happy Planet, Love Child Organics, Nando’s, Netflix, BC Lottery Corporation, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Province of British Columbia, Sprott Shaw, Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Police Foundation, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, and Crimestoppers.

Braden Douglas Founding Partner, Crew Marketing Partners Inc. Braden Douglas is a renowned marketing strategist with a passion for food. His depth of knowledge, understanding and insight within the Canadian food value chain have uniquely positioned himself and CREW as Canada’s Food Marketing Experts. Braden launched his career in brand management with Procter & Gamble and Frito Lay. Taking this disciplined approach to marketing, he has created strategies and campaigns that have driven record revenues for many young food start-ups including Hardbite Potato Chips, Silver Hills Bakery, and the Science World EcoDairy. He’s also pioneered public engagement and brand strategies within the agricultural sector, commodity food boards, and various public and private associations. As a speaker and writer, Braden delivers practical and straightforward marketing, leadership and entrepreneurial advice to audiences and inboxes around the world.

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Session 2: Agritech

Rickey Yada Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Professor of Food Science at UBC Rickey Yada was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and Professor of Food Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, B.C. in 2014. Prior to joining UBC, Dr. Yada was at the University of Guelph in a number of leadership roles, including Professor in the Department of Food Science, Chair of the Department of Food Science, Assistant Vice President Research, a Canada Research Chair in Food Protein Structure, and a Founding Member of the Food Institute. Dr. Yada is a Past President and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Past President and Fellow of the International Academy of International Union of Food Science and Technology as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists. Dave Smardon

CEO, Bioenterprise Dave Smardon has a background in establishing, growing and financing technology-based companies. Early in his career, Dave held a variety of mid-to senior level positions with corporations including Texas Instruments and Apple Computer. In 1984, he began a career as an entrepreneur, establishing Learning Connections, an educational software company. In 1993, he founded Commcorp Technologies, providing technology outsourcing services and application software to financial and banking communities. In 2003 and in 2005, Dave became immersed in the agriculture industry, and then assumed the role of President and CEO of Bioenterprise Corporation. Raymond Szabada Founder and Chairman of the Board, SRCTec Raymond Szabada is the Chairman of the Board and Acting CEO of the Sumas Regional Consortium for High Tech (SRCTec), responsible for developing and driving forward the vision as related to tech-based economic and educational development of the east Fraser Valley region, with keen specific focus on innovation and agritech incubation. Additionally, he is a current and active member of the District of Mission Economic Development Board. As a seasoned tech entrepreneur, he is the President and CEO of Mission-based Systems and Data Integrator and Red Deer-based Polar Technologies, delivering software and damage prevention solutions to the pipeline industry. Timothy Kendrick President and Chief Designer, BW GLOBAL Structures Inc. As Chief Designer at BW GLOBAL, Timothy is responsible for the developing and evolving new Greenhouse structures and systems. He was directly responsible for the development of the BW FREEFLOW Greenhouse, a design that challenges the assumption that the Venlo design is the most effective and efficient design for commercial Greenhouses. He is also responsible for

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designing the first systems in the world that can pressurize and de-pressurize individual bays of a Greenhouse as well as a designing and patenting a system that crystalizes the dream of a 100 per cent sealed Greenhouse environment. Timothy’s work includes advising multi-billion dollar corporations, academic institutions, government and not-for-profit organizations on they can be more relevant to the rapidly evolving food-water-energy contexts for local communities around the world. He holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada and a law degree from the University of Cambridge, England.

Session 3: Zero Waste

Jerry Keulen Owner, Seabreeze Farm Along with his wife and sons, Jerry Keulen operates Seabreeze Farm. They milk approximately 350 cows and also run an anaerobic digester with a nutrient recovery system. With the help of Jerry’s father and brother, Jerry and his family began farming in 1981 on a small rented farm in Surrey with 30 cows. In 1985, they moved to their current location in Delta and have steadily progressed to where they are today. During a visit to Europe, Jerry became aware of the benefits of an anaerobic digester and how it could fit very well into their operation. They had the good fortune of being chosen to be part of a biogas feasibility study in 2011 prepared for ARDCorp by CHFour Biogas. They pursued the possibilities and began operation of their renewable natural gas facility in January of 2015. Pamela Ambriz

Director, New Product Development, Vitalus Nutrition Inc.

Pamela has worked in the food industry for 19 years and is currently the Director of Product Strategy and Development at Vitalus Nutrition Inc. As Director of Product Strategy and Development, Pamela leads the implementation and execution of key projects including research, development and application of existing products. She oversees the creation of new products from concept to full scale production, and serves as liaison with Vitalus’ Operations, Quality Assurance and Sales teams. She is responsible for providing technical support to customers and other project stakeholders, and oversees the conduction of applied research and manages the Vitalus Innovation and Development Center (IDC). Pamela also maintains technical relationship with Universities and Food Technology Centers. Matt Dickson Managing Director, Hallbar Consulting Mathew Dickson is an experienced, resourceful and effective sustainability professional with over twelve years diverse renewable energy and waste management experience in industry, government and non-profits. With a strong background and keen interest in sustainable resource management, renewable energy, waste management and agriculture, and a proven track record in all aspects of project management, Mathew works with clients to maximize their renewable energy, waste management and agricultural opportunities, or overcome waste management challenges they may face.

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Chris Bush President, Catalyst Agri-Innovations Society Chris is a sustainable agriculture pioneer, responsible for taking the first biogas plant for agriculture in B.C. from concept to full operations. It stands as an example for all future digesters in North America as the first to deliver “biomethane” to a utility grid from a farm. Chris has a vision for Zero Waste Agriculture through his program called “Technology Meets Permaculture,” and has launched “Symbiosis Centre for Zero Waste Agriculture at Seabreeze Farms.” You can see 10 years of his life work in 12 minutes in a TEDx Talk called “Poop Soup and the Inevitable Global Movement.”

Session 4: E-Commerce

Suthamie Poologasingham Director, U.S. Marketing & Research, JC Williams Suthamie Poologasingham is the Director of Research and a Senior Advisor of E-commerce at J.C. Williams Group (JCWG). J.C. Williams Group is one of North America’s leading retail consultancies with 40 years of industry experience. Suthamie leads J.C. Williams Group’s RetailWATCH, providing syndicated research and intelligence on Canadian consumer shopping behavior, retail tends and global best-in-class practices. The RetailWATCH-Canadian E-tail Report is the only source of Canadian e-commerce data provided bi-annually. Suthamie has advised on the state of e-commerce for Industry Canada, Canada Post and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, in addition to private sector clients. She has also authored chapters for the Retail Council of Canada and the EBELTOFT Group and has spoken widely on e-commerce in the food sector including at Grocery Innovations Canada.

Peter van Stolk CEO, Spud.ca Peter van Stolk is the CEO of Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery, or SPUD.ca™, the largest pure play online grocer in Canada. SPUD.ca is focused on creating meaningful relationships with Canadians around the benefits of local, organic food within the $120 billion annual Canadian grocery market. SPUD.ca operates in four markets and utilizes proprietary technology. This allows the company to provide free delivery throughout four Western Canadian cities it services. Peter has been recognized for his business savvy and innovative branding strategies in various publications such as The New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine and People Magazine. Peter has received numerous business awards including Price, Waterhouse, Coopers’ 40 under 40, Brand Week’s Top 100 Marketer, and was chosen as one of Canada’s Top One Hundred Canadians by MacLean’s Magazine. He continues to speak internationally, challenging various audiences on a broad range of marketing and business topics. He is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vitamin Angels, a non-profit global organization that provides vital nutrition to over 48 million children annually throughout the world.

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Session 5: Institutional Procurement

Lisa Powell Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm Lisa J. Powell is a postdoctoral research fellow working with the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia and the Agriburban Research Centre at the University of the Fraser Valley. Her research focuses on agricultural land use; farm to institution organizing; agriburbia; food systems and policy; innovative crops; and natural resources extraction and transport. She has published numerous articles in academic journals, and her first sole-authored book will be published in early 2018. She also works with her family’s grain- and conservation-focused farm.

Victoria Wakefield

Director Procurement, UBC Vicki is no stranger to sustainability. In procurement circles, she is affectionately known as the 'queen of green.' With 20 years in the public and private sectors, a Certified Professional Purchaser and member of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, Vicki is known throughout the country for her dedication to social responsibility and for her willingness to share what she has learned. In 2005, Vicki joined the City of Vancouver to implement the purchasing policy on ethical and sustainable purchasing. Vicki’s responsibilities included implementation of the new green policy, training buyers and educating vendors that wished to do business and were not sure how to compete under the new criteria of “green”. Vicki works at the University of British Columbia, previously as Manager of Logistics and Sustainability and now as Purchasing Manager for Student Housing and Hospitality Services. Vicki is an advisory committee member for the Sustainable Purchasing Network, Chair of the UBC Fair Trade Campus Committee, Chair of the UBC Tap Water Declaration Committee and a well sought after speaker on Sustainable and Ethical Purchasing in Canada.

Session 6: New Sector Development

Dwayne Stewart Manager – BC Hop Company Dwayne Stewart lived and worked on his family farm as the third generation to dairy farm on Cole Road in Abbotsford. Dwayne attended the agriculture program at the University of the Fraser Valley focusing on business and greenhouse management and then spent 22 years in the construction and development industry. Having left that industry to pursue his passion for agriculture, Dwayne and his wife of 24 years, Diane, are now the co-founders of their family-owned companies Valley Hops Ltd and the BC Hop Company Ltd. BC Hop Company has grown from just one field and eight acres in 2015 to an expected harvest of 120 acres across 10 Partner Farms in 2017. Dwayne was awarded Business in Vancouver's Top 40 Under 40 in 2007, and was nominated for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2009.

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Ken Beattie Executive Director – BC Craft Brewers Guild Ken Beattie’s passion for the beer industry began in B.C. in 1987 when he was hired as a summer student. Ken has now spent nearly 30 years in the local beer community in various sales management roles with two breweries. In 2012, Ken combined his passion, experience and knowledge of the beer industry to pursue his entrepreneurial desire by creating his own company, Eureka Beer Guide (www.eurekabeergude.com). Ken conducts beer education seminars offering something for everyone from the beer enthusiast to the hospitality professional. This opportunity empowers Ken to transfer his love of beer, his industry experience and his leadership skills to both industry and non-industry beer enthusiasts. As of July 2013, Ken is the Executive Director of the British Columbia Craft Brewers Guild, which represents over 80 of the 110 plus owned and operated craft breweries and brewpubs in B.C.

Session 7: Financing for New Entrants Session

Chris Henderson CPA, CA Rossworn Henderson LLP Chris Henderson is a Chartered Professional Accountant and the managing partner at Rossworn Henderson LLP, a full service public accounting firm in the North Okanagan of B.C. Chris takes pride in his ability to teach and bring complex topics down to an understandable level. He is a registered consultant with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture’s Canadian Farm Business Advisory Service, where he assists clients with understanding the purchase and sale of their farm, succession and estate planning, and general day-to-day accounting issues. In this role, Chris is also a regular presenter throughout B.C. for the Ministry of Agriculture on these topics. Matt Thurston Senior Relationship Manager – Agribusiness and Agri-Food Division, Farm Credit Canada Matt Thurston is a Senior Relationship manager at Farm Credit Canada (FCC). He graduated from The University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and is a Professional Agrologist. He has worked in the agricultural finance profession for the last 9 years with all his lending in B.C. where he has financed a variety of agricultural businesses. Matt currently works in the Agri-Food Division of FCC focusing in the winery sector and other food processors in the interior.

Session 8: Climate Change

Emily MacNair The BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative Emily MacNair has been the coordinator of the BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative since its inception in 2008. This has included developing the BC Agriculture & Climate Change Action Plan; leading a project to evaluate the agriculture sector’s risks and opportunities in relation to climate change; and, managing the development and delivery of current adaptation

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programming for the sector in B.C. From 2004 to 2008, Emily was a Program Manager with the Investment Agriculture Foundation. Prior to this, Emily led projects for various non-government organizations. Sean Smukler Assistant Professor, Applied Biology and Soil Science, UBC Sean Smukler is an Assistant Professor in Applied Biology & Soil Science and the Junior Chair of Agriculture and the Environment for the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. His research currently focuses on helping farmers adapt to climate change and improve the sustainability of their farming practices. Sean received a PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis where he also did his undergraduate studies. He holds a MSc. in Forest Soils from the University of Washington, Seattle. Denise Neilsen Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Denise Neilsen is a Senior Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Summerland Research and Development Centre in Summerland, B.C., and an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus. She holds a BSc from London, an MSc from Queens and a PhD from McGill. Her research focusses on management of nitrogen and water use in horticultural crops; integrated studies on climate change and water management; modeling agricultural and domestic water demand and supply; and climate-change impacts on Canadian Agriculture.

Session 9: Commercial Buyers Panel

Robert Cunningham Regional Business Development Manager, Healthcare, Sysco Western Canada Robert Cunningham began his career in healthcare 30 years ago, cooking in a healthcare facility. He has worked in all aspects of the food industry, including manufacturing, restaurants, retail grocery and foodservice distribution. In 2000, Robert joined Sysco Foods as National Corporate Sales Manager, then Director of Healthcare and Multi Unit Sales and now in his current role as Regional Business Development Manager Healthcare for Western Canada. Robert is very involved in the industry at all levels, including speaking at seniors’ conferences and seminars. He is a member of the Culinary Arts Program Advisory Council for Okanagan College, and a member of the Minister’s Agrifood Advisory Committee for the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture.

Sysco’s mission is to market and deliver great products to their customers with exceptional service, and their vision is to be their customers’ most valued and trusted business partner. Sysco is a global company that is focused on product quality, regulatory compliance and food safety. To ensure they can deliver the quality of products their customers need, Sysco has adopted the GFSI Recognized Standard provided by the British Retail Consortium.

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Jeff Nadon Local Developer, Sobey’s Jeff Nadon began his career in the food business 12 years ago after finishing his degree at Royal Roads University. As a sales professional with Kraft Foods, he managed customers such as London Drugs, Overwaitea Food Group and Walmart. He then pursued work with Olympic Dairy where he learned the value and importance of local products and the positive effects they can have with producers, consumers and retailers. In 2016, Jeff joined Sobeys in a brand new role that focuses on bringing more local products to the store shelves in B.C. He is excited about the opportunity to grow Sobeys local offerings and help showcase all of the great products produced in B.C.

Sobey’s mission is to help Canadians “Eat Better, Feel Better and Do Better.” Sobey’s is a Canada-wide chain that has a local development mission to support local B.C. agrifood and seafood products. Through its Thrifty Food’s brand, Sobeys highlights and showcases “We Pick B.C.” tags in their store. They also highlight growers and producers by showcasing stories with respective pictures of the grower or producer. Thrifty Food’s is mandated with a buy local first policy, with plans to roll this out to their Safeway stores as well.

Carlos Machado Vendor Development Manager for Western Canada, Loblaw Companies Ltd. When he was younger, Carlos Machado worked in an orchard in Cawston, B.C. for many years with his family. He joined Loblaw in 1989 when the first Superstore opened in B.C., and was instrumental in the expansion of the B.C. stores. Carlos took on the role of Assistant Division Manager for 18 years, where he was responsible for item allocation, store set-up, hiring and training staff, and was ultimately responsible for bottom line profit for the stores he worked with directly. As the business shifted to centralization he moved out of this role and joined the procurement team as a Vendor Development Manager to narrow the gap between buyers in Cambridge and growers in Western Canada. His solid background of store operations and growing practices has helped him in this new role. He currently works with 73 vendors across Western Canada in developing programs for the business, ensuring vendors have the support they require. Carlos also follows up on food safety, ensures growers and packers understand specific requirements for quality and packaging, sources new items to market, and works with vendors on new packaging ideas, and new item trials.

Loblaw is a national Canadian company, with 2,400 stores coast to coast that employ more than 200,000 people. In B.C. alone, the company has more than 290 stores and employs roughly 20,000 employees. Loblaw places priority on sourcing local and regional fresh products and is one of the largest purchasers of locally-grown food in Canada. Highlighting its accomplishments with a Canada first policy, Loblaw has more than 300 Canadian vendors that it sources products from. Companies that are looking to get involved with being a vendor should meet them at their Annual Growers Meetings in either Vancouver or Calgary.

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Session 10: The Science of Food

Catalina Lopez-Correa VP Sector Development & Chief Scientific Officer – Genome British Columbia Dr. Catalina Lopez-Correa is the Vice President Sector Development and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Genome British Columbia. With over 18 years of international experience in genomics, Dr. Lopez-Correa has held leadership positions in the private and public sector. Dr. Lopez-Correa holds an MD from UPB in Colombia, a Masters in Genetics from Paris VII/Pasteur and a PhD in Genetics from KULeuven in Belgium. Most recently she was CSO Genome Quebec where she was instrumental in developing competitive teams for national and provincial research projects, and raising the profile of Genome Quebec on the global stage. Previous experience includes roles as Senior Scientist with Eli Lilly and Company and Head of Cytogenomics laboratory with deCODE Genetics. Leonard Foster Director, Centre for High-Throughput Biology Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia (UBC) Leonard Foster is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and he is currently the Associate Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories. Foster comes from a family of beekeepers and got his introduction to academic bee research at Simon Fraser University while doing his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry – at Simon Fraser University he worked with Dr. Winston and Dr. Slessor on honey bee pheromones, particularly the components of queen mandibular pheromone. He then did a Ph.D. in Toronto and post-doctoral studies in Denmark before starting his current position in 2005. The first independent operating grant that Leonard secured was to study how bee pathogens were able to manipulate the protein machinery within bee cells. Since that time he has led two very large-scale projects that have investigated some of the molecular mechanisms behind hygienic behavior in bees. This effort has recently moved into trying to apply this knowledge by using the information they have learned to guide selective breeding for hygienic behavior in honey bees. He is very active in extension services and frequently engages the public on various aspects of honey bee biology. Chelsea Himsworth Veterinary Pathologist, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture Chelsea Himsworth received her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, before staying on to complete a Masters of Veterinary Science and Senior Residency in Anatomic Pathology with a Wildlife Health focus in 2010. She went on to successfully complete the board certification exam and achieve Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Chelsea then joined the PhD program in the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia and completed the program in 2014. Currently, she is a Diagnostic Pathologist and the Leader for Veterinary Science and Diagnostics at the Animal Health Centre, the provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory for British Columbia. She is also the BC Regional Director for the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.

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Trish Schulte Professor of Zoology, UBC Trish Schulte received her BSc and MSc from the University of British Columbia, and a PhD in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. She is currently a professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia, where she heads a research group that performs both fundamental and applied research in fish biology and genomics. She has a particular interest in understanding how fish respond to changes in their environment. In 2016 she received the award of excellence from the physiology section of the American Fisheries Society for her original and outstanding contributions to fisheries and aquatic biology.

Session 11: Succession Planning

Marilyn Hutchinson Director HR, Sustainability & Growth, Grieg Seafood Marilyn Hutchinson has been Director of Sustainability & Growth for Grieg Seafood since 2011. Grieg is a salmon farming company with 100 employees from more than a dozen coastal aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities. In addition to relationship-building with First Nations in whose traditional territories their farms are located, the Sustainability & Growth Team seeks partnerships that support the quality of life and values of west coast communities. Grieg contributes to salmon enhancement initiatives, education, arts/culture, sports and First Nations activities. Marilyn is a Board Member of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, the national association representing Canadian aquaculture operators, their feed companies and suppliers. She also sits on a committee of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, which is nearing completion of a national labour market study of Canada’s agriculture and aquaculture sectors. Rishi Sharma B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Rishi Sharma has been an employee of B.C. government for over 17 years – most recently with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training (JTST) as Director of Corporate Initiatives, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder & Intergovernmental Relations and Aboriginal Relationships. Prior to working in the JTST ministry, he was employed at the ministerial level as Chief of Staff to various provincial ministers, including the Ministry of Technology and Innovation, and media monitoring in the Office of the Premier. He also spent three years serving as communications professional in the B.C. government’s Public Affairs Bureau. As a preferred hobby, Rishi spends his time in construction as an owner/operator. He is a long-time resident of Vancouver Island enjoying all of the local benefits with his wife and three daughters. Steve Hughes CEO, St. Jean’s Cannery Steve is the President of St. Jean’s Cannery in Nanaimo and has spent over 18 years in the seafood industry in various sales and leadership capacities. He holds a degree in Economics and started his career in seafood in Toronto working for a large multinational. Falling out of love

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with Toronto traffic, he moved to Vancouver Island in 1997. Steve is co-founder of Rumble, a nutritional beverage company and was previously General Manager of Albion Fisheries in Victoria.

Session 12: Urban Agriculture

Brent Mansfield Director, B.C. Food Systems Network Brent Mansfield has broad interests and experience in food systems policy, planning and education and is passionate about working collaboratively across sectors to catalyze food systems change. He is the Director of the BC Food Systems Network, a provincial network focused on developing more healthy, just and sustainable food systems by strengthening connections, nurturing capacity and advancing policy. He was a member on the Ministry of Health-led Provincial Healthy Eating Strategy Leadership Council, including serving as a co-lead for the Access to, and Availability of, Action Plan Team. He served as a member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council from 2009-2014, including four years as the co-chair, a time in which he was involved in the development of the Vancouver Food Strategy. Brent has a B.Ed. and a M.Sc. in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems. Theresa Duynstee Regional Planner, Metro Vancouver Theresa Duynstee is a Professional Agrologist (P.Ag.) who works as a Regional Planner with the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Over the past 10 years she has led planning initiatives and policy analysis on farmland protection, agriculture viability and the regional food system. Theresa started her career as a horticulturist, graduated from UBC with a degree in Soil Science and then years later completed a Masters’ degree in Environmental Management from Royal Roads University. She is avid hiker, cyclist, naturalist and dedicated roof-top urban gardener.

Session 13: Traceability and Food Safety

Lorraine McIntyre B.C. Centre for Disease Control Lorraine McIntyre is a Food Safety Specialist with Environmental Health Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control. Lorraine has had a varied career, encompassing agriculture, medical diagnostics, education and food safety. Her first job was examining the pathogenesis of canola, and since then her activities have included research on Cryptosporidium and Giardia, implementation of norovirus diagnostic testing for clinical and oyster specimens, evaluating the FOODSAFE education program for food handlers, creating various guidelines, training courses and writing peer-reviewed publications on research and outbreaks.

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Jill Hobbs Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Jill E. Hobbs is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Saskatchewan where she has been a faculty member since 1999. Her research interests encompass food policy, consumer preferences, and supply-chain economics. Her work has examined incentives to adopt traceability technologies in the agrifood sector, consumer trust, public and private standards for food safety and food quality, the regulation of health foods in Canada and internationally, and the changing nature of agrifood supply chains. She recently completed a term as co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Hobbs holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and is also a graduate of the University of Calgary, Canada (M.A. in Economics) and Aberystwyth University, UK (B.Sc. in Economics).

Session 14: Export Readiness

Jeff Lang Senior Marketing and Trade Officer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Jeff Lang is a Senior Marketing and Trade Officer at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Prior to this, his work involved the Vancouver and Beijing Olympics and time with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. He holds a degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and diplomas from Suzhou University in Suzhou, China and the Institute of Diplomatic Studies in Cairo, Egypt. He is a former Canadian delegate of the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations. At Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Jeff works with the B.C. food and seafood sectors to ensure they are aware of various government programs and services, including those that help industry access export opportunities. Michael Ansara Account Manager, Export Development Canada Michael Ansara is an Account Manager at Export Development Canada (EDC), Canada’s federal export credit agency, and is responsible for helping exporters within the B.C. Michael’s focus is to help Canadian business enterprises “Go, Grow and Succeed” with regards to their international business endeavors. EDC does this by providing exporters with the direct or indirect resources and intelligence necessary to help with these opportunities. Michael has experience educating and helping Canadian companies who are exporting commercialized goods and or services, or who are looking to export for their first time. EDC has helped across all industrialized sectors and its goal is to help exporters accomplish new international trade endeavors by leveraging its working capital and risk mitigation solutions as a means to provide the most value possible.

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John Nishidate General Manager, Grand Hale Marine Products John Nishidate has been in the seafood business since the age of 19. He currently serves as General Manager of Grand Hale Marine Products Co., Ltd. a family-based business focusing on processing and exporting B.C. wild seafood, located in Richmond, B.C. Species include sea urchin roe, wild salmon, salmon caviar, herring roe, spot prawns, sea cucumber, and other seafood, in many forms. He currently serves as President of the Seafood Producers Association of BC; Vice-President of Canadian Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Society; Director of the BC Salmon Marketing Council; Director of Fishermen Helping Kids With Cancer; Director of Canadian Pacific Kazunoko Association; and board member of the Herring Industry Advisory Board. John has experience in processing and exporting mainly on the West Coast, and has also spent a few years in Montreal, Washington State, and South America. His primary markets currently include Japan, France, Germany, and Taiwan. He recently participated in a Taste of BC event in Utrecht, Netherlands in May 2016, introducing and re-introducing B.C. seafood to the Netherlands.

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SPEAKER INDEX Ambriz, Pamela……………………..……...4 Ansara, Michael………………..………....13 Beattie, Ken……………………..………….7 Bush, Chris……………………..…………..5 Cunningham, Robert…………..………….8 Dickson, Matt…………………..…………..4 Douglas, Braden…………………..………2 Duynstee, Theresa……………..………..12 Foster, Leonard…………………..………10 Henderson, Chris…………….…………...7 Himsworth, Chelsea………….…………10 Hobbs, Jill………………………….……..13 Hughes, Steve………………….………...11 Hutchinson, Marilyn………….………….11 Kendrick, Timothy…………….…………...3 Keulen, Jerry………………….…………...4 Lang, Jeff………………………….……...13 Lopez-Correa, Catalina……….………...10 Machado, Carolos………………………...9 Mansfield, Brent…………………………12 MacNair, Emily……………….………...….7 McIntyre, Lorraine……………………….12 Nadon, Jeff……………….………………..9 Nairn, Roger……………………………….2 Neilsen, Denise…………………………...8 Nishidate,John…………………………..14 Poologasingham, Suthamie…………….5 Powell, Lisa…………………………….….6 Schulte, Trish…………………………….11 Sharma, Rishi…………………………....11 Smardon, Dave…………………………....3 Smukler, Sean…………………………….8 Stewart, Dwayne………………………….6 Szabada, Raymond……………………….3 Thurston, Matt……………………………..7 van Stolk, Peter…………………………...5 Wakefield, Victoria………………………..6 Yada, Ricky…………………….…….…….3