Alberta’s hog farmers’ organization has filled its vacancies at the top.
Alberta Pork on Tuesday named its vice-chairman, Jim Haggins of Calgary, as its new chairman after the resignation of chairman and Region 2 representative Herman Simons.
As well, the board has named Darcy Fitzgerald, currently the director of industry investments for the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), as its new executive director effective May 1, replacing the retiring Paul Hodgman.
That leaves the board of Alberta Pork without one of its Region 2 representatives for now. The provincial regulations governing the hog farmers’ group don’t allow for byelections, so the naming of a new regional director falls to the board.
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The board, however, said last week it will conduct a selection process in which hog producers in Region Two can indicate to the board who they would like to represent them, joining the other Region Two director, John Middel of Rocky Mountain House.
The selection process will take place at an Alberta Pork information meeting on March 16 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chalet at Red Deer’s Westerner Park.
“Tireless worker”
Simons, who farms at Tees, east of Lacombe, had been re-elected as Alberta Pork’s chairman in late 2009 but recently resigned for personal reasons.
Haggins, in a release Tuesday, described Simons as “a leader through some difficult times in our industry and… a tireless worker on the (Alberta Pork) Revitalization Strategy and other programs” the organization is developing.
Alberta Pork described Haggins as “a veteran of the industry” who has previously served on the hog group’s board and was elected back last fall. Board member Rocky Morrill of Dawson Creek, B.C. replaces Haggins in the vice-chairman’s post.
Hodgman announced his retirement last fall after working as executive director of Alberta Pork for three years.
His replacement, Fitzgerald, came to ALMA from a stint as general manager of the Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund and was previously an agrologist with the provincial ag department.
Fitzgerald “understands the business culture in which we operate, and he has worked closely with pork producers in many capacities,” Haggins said Tuesday.
Also, Haggins said, Fitzgerald “has a firm understanding of the challenges our pork industry faces today and the approaches being considered through the Alberta Pork Revitalization Strategy.”
