Alberta Grains, the new organization formed through the amalgamation of the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, held its first annual general meeting this week at Calgary.
The organization named its inaugural board, with Tara Sawyer as chair. Scott Jespersen will serve as first vice-chair, and Devin Hartzler as second vice-chair.
Sawyer, who farms near Acme, previously served as chair for Alberta Barley and Alberta Grains’ interim board of directors since the formal amalgamation of Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) in August 2023.
Jespersen, who farms near Spruce Grove, takes over the first vice-chair role after previously serving as a director for Alberta Barley since 2021, and most recently as second vice-chair on the interim board member for Alberta Grains. Hartzler, who farms near Carstairs, also held a position on the Alberta Grains interim board of directors and has previously served with AWC as a director since 2020.
“I am honoured by the board’s vote of confidence in my ability to serve Alberta’s wheat and barley farmers as chair,” says Sawyer. “There is so much opportunity in the industry as a whole and as a board, we’re leveraging that to ensure wheat and barley remain a top choice for farmers and end-users alike. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the first chair for Alberta Grains.”
The newly-elected directors form the rest of the board. They are:
• Region 1: Dean Hubbard, David Bishop
• Region 2: Devin Hartzler (vice chair), Tara Sawyer (chair)
• Region 3: Stewart Oke, Dick Wymenga
• Region 4: Shawn Jacula, Brent Christensen
• Region 5: Scott Jespersen (vice chair)
• Region 6: Greg Sears, Tasha Alexander
