Appointee Biographies

LORNE HEPWORTH

Dr. Hepworth is now retired, after serving for over 16 years as President and CEO of CropLife Canada, the trade association representing developers, manufacturers and distributors of plant science innovations for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. Dr. Hepworth is a member of the board of Input Capital Corp; and, a director and Chair of the board of Canterra Farmland Holdings LP. He has served on the Canadian Council of Academies Expert Panel on Sustainable Management of water in the Agriculture Landscapes of Canada. He has served as a member and Chair of the board of Genome Canada; as a director and Chair of the Global Institute for Food Security; as a member of the board of CARE Canada; a member of the Scientific Advisory and Governance Committees of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund; a member of the Advisory Board of the National Research Council of Canada, Plant Biotechnology Institute; the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council; and the federal government’s Pest Management, and National Biotechnology Advisory Committees. A graduate of Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (1971), Dr. Hepworth was a veterinarian in Alberta and Saskatchewan until 1982, when he was elected to Saskatchewan’s Legislative Assembly. He subsequently served nine years in Cabinet, during which he was minister of Agriculture, Education, Finance, and Energy and Mines. From 1992 to 1997, he held several executive positions with the Canadian Agra group of companies specializing in agri-food/feed production, processing and marketing. In 2012 he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and in 2014 was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.

ROSE MARIE GAGE

Rose Marie Gage is Chief Executive Officer of Ag Energy Co-operative Ltd. She is also a former Chief Marketing Officer of Schneider Electric Canada and former Chief Marketing Officer/Vice-President of Marketing at GE Capital Solutions, Commercial Distribution Finance Canada. Ms. Gage's community involvement includes serving as Chair of Agri-Technology Commercialization Centre, Chair of Guelph Energy Co-operative Inc. and Vice-Chair of Women-In-Leadership Foundation. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

EVERT VELDHUIZEN

Evert Veldhuizen is a graduate of Ridgetown College and farms, together with his brother, in Dairy, Hogs, Custom Work, Crop Input Supplies and Cash Crops (Corn, Soy, Wheat and Edibles) in Oxford Centre. He has served on the executive of the Norwich Township Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the Agriculture Committee for the Chamber. He has been a volunteer firefighter for 13 years and is past president of Oxford Soil and Crop Improvement Association. He has completed C-Team (Canadian Total Excellence in Agriculture Management) and has served on the Progressive Dairy Operators’ Association Board.

GORD SURGEONER

Dr. Gordon Surgeoner, of Guelph, served for 28 years as a faculty member of Ontario Agriculture College, University of Guelph. He recently retired as President of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, a not-for-profit consortium of grower associations, universities, private sector companies and government agencies. He has served on numerous federal and provincial advisory committees.

DAVID MCINNES

David McInnes acts as Principal of DMci Strategies, he is a strategic advisor, speaker and facilitator on change and the opportunities facing the Canadian and global food system. As part of this role, he initiated and is currently leading a private-public coalition of some 135 partners to develop Canada’s first agri-food sustainability index, the National Index on Agri-Food Performance – a novel tool to affirm Canada’s sustainability leadership and to mark progress on societal and environmental priorities. David is the Founder and National Coordinator of this unprecedented initiative. Currently, David is also a Member of the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), a Governance Committee Member of the Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Initiative (CASI), an Arrell Food Fellow with the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, an Affiliate of McGill University’s Institute for Global Food Security, and he is a Global Advisor with Invest Nova Scotia. He is also a former Senior Fellow of Canada 2020 (an Ottawa-based think tank), a former Contributing Editor of The Economist Intelligence Unit and was a member of Export Development Canada’s Industry Stakeholder Panel. He held the Chair of WaterAid Canada and was a Trustee of London-based WaterAid International, an NGO dedicated to clean water and improved sanitation across the developing world. Earlier in his career, he held directorships with the Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, Ottawa Life Sciences Council, Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, and the U.S.-based Council of Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals. Among many published newspaper articles and reports in recent years, David co-edited Virtual Water: Its Implications for Agriculture and Trade with the universities of Nebraska and Kansas State, 1st Edition, CRC Press (2019). He also authored Taking It to the Hill – the Complete Guide to Appearing Before Parliamentary Committees, 2nd Edition, The University of Ottawa Press (2006). He is a graduate of the London School of Economics (MSc.) and Dalhousie University (B.A.).

DAVID JENKINS

David Jenkins is the owner of Haldrey Farms. His community involvement includes serving as the Chair of Elgin Police Services Board (2023), member of Elgin County Land Division committee representing Malahide Township, and Chair (2005) of the Toronto Stockyards Land Development Board where he represented Dairy Farmers of Ontario. He also volunteers at Belmont United Church on the property committee.

NEVIN MCDOUGALL

Nevin McDougall is an accomplished business executive, entrepreneur, and private investor with 30 years of experience in industry-leading, innovative agri-business organizations. He has led business operations for large multi-national companies such as BASF and Sollio Cooperative Group in both North American and International markets. Nevin brings extensive hands-on experience in commercial operations, R&D, and executive management. He has also been involved as an investor, entrepreneur, and coach to several small and medium sized companies in the agri-food sector such as A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. Nevin brings broad perspective and governance capabilities from positions in industry associations, non-profit, public and private company boards.

YOUBIN ZHENG

Dr. Youbin Zheng is an environmental horticulture professor at the University of Guelph. He joined the University of Guelph in 2000 and has more than 20 years research experience in the field of controlled environment (e.g., greenhouse and other indoor facilities) plant production, such as cannabis and other medicinal, nutraceutical plant, vegetable and ornamental plant productions. His teaching and research have been focusing on serving the greenhouse, nursery, indoor farming, green infrastructure (e.g., green roof) industries. He has strong connections with this industry sectors and always passionate at helping to improve these sectors’ performances. He has more than 130 scientific publications. For more details, please visit https://www.uoguelph.ca/ses/people/youbin-zheng

JENNIFER DOELMAN

Jennifer Doelman is the owner/operator of Bonnechere Haven Farms, and a former Provincial Director (Zone 8) for Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Her community involvement includes serving as a blood donor for Canadian Blood Services, and a former Director of Renfrew County Soil & Crop Improvement Association.

DENISE HOCKADAY

Denise Hockaday is a Climate Business Director in Canada for The Climate Corporation- Div of Bayer Crop Science. Her community involvement includes formerly serving as a board member for Community CRC.