COTA's Advisory Board is comprised of a broad range of members from the external community, including leaders, visionaries and entrepreneurs who understand the needs of the organic industry and believe in the importance of organic agriculture, science and commerce. Members must be diverse in terms of gender, culture, sector, and public and private ownership, and members must share our commitment to making a positive difference for Ottawa, Canada and the world. Board members are selected by COTA's Board of Directors, in consultation with the Executive Director and management team. Board members are generally appointed for a renewable two-year term. The total number of board members should not exceed 15 representatives of the external community at large. The Board's authority will be limited to recommending courses of action based on strategic and operational information received from the COTA management team. The final decision on whether to act on the recommendations will rest with the Board of Directors.
The role of the advisory council:
- Advise on the overall strategy and direction of the organization, including issues such as strategic direction and market needs and opportunities.
- Consider recommendations and offer advice on a wide range of issues related to COTA's work, including research activities, program development, policy and position statements, and organizational development.
- Assist in establishing and developing COTA's position, where appropriate and practical, in areas of professional practice where Board members have experience.
- Champion the organization, developing the COTA brand locally, nationally and internationally by communicating key strategic messages, publicizing existing and new program initiatives, and highlighting the accomplishments of COTA and its members.
- Connect the Executive Director, staff, and board members with the broader communities regarding brand development and outreach, as well as partnership opportunities.
- At the request of the COTA Board of Directors or Executive Director, act as a spokesperson for COTA, which could include a presentation on the COTA website and in other communications as an advisory board member.
- Advise on fundraising activities, including identifying opportunities most relevant to COTA's areas of interest.
- Support fundraising, donor identification and/or linkages with businesses and the broader community.
Members
Dag Falck
Dag has been actively involved in the organic movement and industry since 1989. Growing up in the industry, he has been fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in topics such as organic standards and oversight, government relations, organic messaging and organic farming. He has worked for 14 years as an organic agriculture and process inspector. His career led him to work for Nature's Path Foods as the organic program manager from 2003 to present. Dag has participated in numerous NGOs, committees, task forces and government affiliations related to organic agriculture. These experiences have given her the opportunity to become involved and participate in the evolution of the organic movement in North America. Dag's aspiration is to help maintain the highest level of integrity in the organic marketplace and to ensure that organic contributions to a healthier world are recognized and utilized to the fullest extent possible. Dag is a past Chairman of the Canadian Organic Trade Association and the Board of IFOAM North America.
Maureen Kirkpatrick
For the last decade, Maureen worked as the Quality Standards Program Manager at The Big Carrot Natural Food Market, a pioneer worker-owned natural food store in Toronto. During this tenure, she designed and oversaw their dynamic organic processing program, upheld rigorous product standards, developed staff education, and championed numerous sustainable food initiatives. She is most proud of her Board service with diverse organizations who share her values and passion for Organic Agriculture and Food Sovereignty both locally, nationally and internationally. She was honoured to have served as President of the Canada Organic Trade Association and Chair of the Non-GMO Project during her ten years with both organizations. She is equally passionate about supporting the work of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network and continues to serve on the CBAN Steering Committee as well as the Standards Committee for the Non-GMO Project.
Gordon Truscott
Gordon Truscott has 40 years in the natural products industry, experience in operations management, Canadian label development, brand marketing, product sourcing, and business development. Gordon has worked at Cha's Organics since 2018 as an advisor and special projects.
Andrew Hammermeister
Dr. Andrew Hammermeister is the Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Andrew has been working with OACC since 2002, collaborating on research on cereal, vegetable and fruit cropping systems, exploring soil fertility and weed management. Andrew is the Scientific Director of the Organic Science Cluster, the coordinated national initiative for organic agriculture research in Canada, where he leads priority setting, coordination and impact assessment of national organic research. He sits on the National Organic Standards Review Committee and several other organic committees.
Jill Baxter
Jill Baxter, Vice President, Principal Management Human Nutrition, Barentz has been an advocate for the organic sector in Canada for almost 20 years. In 2016, after selling the company she co-founded in 2004, Jill continued her passion for partnering globally with companies for distribution in Canada. When her then employer was acquired by Barentz in 2020, a global life science ingredients distributor, Jill’s focus spread outside Canada to the United States where she’s worked continuously expanding Barentz’s presence with organic and clean-label ingredients in that region.
Over the years, Jill has served on the boards for Soyfoods Canada, the Organic Council of Ontario, and the Canada Organic Trade Association, contributing her expertise to like-minded individuals and industry professionals. Jill continuously seeks advancement in her professional development, you will often see her at national and global trade shows investing in relationships and keeping a pulse on the food industry. Everything she does is built on trust and with this, she is proud and her achievements building long-term relationships that enable her to serve people better and make a positive impact.
If you are interested in learning more about the Advisory Board, please contact Tia Loftsgard tloftsgard@canada-organic.ca.