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
Thursday, May 2
Attending my regular council meeting in the evening.
Thursday, May 9
Co-chairing the Open For Business meeting with Premier Wynne in the afternoon.
Friday, May 10
I will be in Newmarket for the duration of the day attending a meeting of the Lake Simcoe Co-Ordinating Committee.
Monday, May 13
I will be in Toronto attending a Climate Change meeting.
Tuesday, May 14
Attending a meeting in Guelph on Farmland uses.
Thursday, May 16
Attending my regular council meeting in the evening.
Thursday, May 23
In Guelph attending an SDRM Reference committee meeting.
Monday, May 27
In Toronto attending a meeting with Labour Minister Yasir Naquvi.
Wednesday, May 29
In Toronto attending a Greenbelt stakeholders meeting.
Participating in the monthly CFA executive conference call.
Much of the month of May will hopefully be spent farming.
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