Mark Wales, President
Mark Wales was elected OFA President at the 2011 Annual Meeting after serving as Vice President since 2008. He previously served on the OFA Executive Committee when the OFA Board of Directors elected him at its inaugural meeting in 2007. Wales has served on the OFA Board since 1994.
He graduated from the University of Guelph in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, and has been involved in diversified farming in the horticulture sector and tobacco ever since. He is a graduate of Class 6 of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program, and participated in the 2004 Nuffield Canada Scholarship program where he presented a project on "Alternative Crops to Replace Tobacco in Ontario".
Wales’ work with agricultural organizations began in the late 1980s when he delivered land stewardship workshops. His accomplishments include being elected Chair of the Elgin County Peer Review Committee for the Environmental Farm Plan, Chair of the Elgin Stewardship Council, President of the Garlic Growers’ Association of Ontario, President of the Elgin County Federation of Agriculture, and Chair of the Safety Nets Committee of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
He is a Director-at-Large of the Elgin County Federation of Agriculture and has been involved with the local federation for 20 years. This work led to his involvement with the OFA where he served as Chair of the Farm Finance, Trade and Taxation Committee. Wales serves as an agricultural representative on the Lake Erie Region Source Water Protection Committee, and is the only farmer on the Lake Simcoe Co-ordinating Committee. He is also currently the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Sector Council.
Mark's Schedule
Monday February 20
OFA executive meeting at CFA AGM in Gatineau
Tuesday February 21
Co-Chair Business Risk Management and Rural Policy Committee Meeting all morning
In afternoon attending other CFA Committee Meetings at CFA AGM
Participating in CAHRC executive conference call at 7pm
Wednesday February 22
CFA Committee meetings and plenary sessions at AGM
Thursday February 23
Final day of CFA AGM
Friday February 24
I will be attending CFA National Council where CFA executive is chosen and lobbying work plan is developed
Sunday February 26 to Wednesday February 29
As a Municipal councillor I will be attending the annual ROMA conference in Toronto
Wednesday February 29
I will be speaking at the Dundas Federation AGM in the evening
Thursday March 1
I will be attending my regular Lake Erie Region Source Water meeting in Cambridge
And my regular township council meeting in the evening
Friday March 2
I will be attending an event put on by the GTAA at Vineland