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Ken Kelly wins FAB award
Ken Kelly, former
vice-president of the
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, has been
named winner of the
FAB award, presented by
the Farm Advisory Board
of CKNX Radio.
Kelly spent 14 years
on the OFA board of
directors, including five
as vice-president. He has
also been involved in the
Disabled Farmers of
Ontario and the Rural
Connections Program. Ken Kell
Kelly was one of the instigators of
y: wins award
Market Grey -Bruce. He
has served as chair of the
Grey -Bruce Community
Industrial Training
Advisory Committee and
is a founding member of
the Bruce -Grey -Huron -
Perth -Georgian Triangle
Training Adjustment
Board. He was involved
with a task force that
convinced the Ontario
Ministry of
Transportation to re-
write the "Implements of
Husbandry" section of
the Highway Traffic Act.0
Cheryl Russworm wins OIA award
Cheryl Russworm of Mildmay has been named first winner of the Cheryl
Somerville Memorial OIA Distinguished Young Agrologist by the Ontario
Institute of Agrologists. The award recognizes outstanding achievement and
service to agriculture by an agrologist 40 years of age or younger and is named
after Cheryl Somerville who died tragically in a car accident in 1999.
Russworm, the citation said, has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills
and has always shown the initiative to develop new programs to help her clients
during her work with Farm Credit Corporation, OMAFRA, and currently with
the Royal Bank Business Centre in Hanover.
A major impact of Russworm's work with OMAFRA lies in the increase
viability of the beef industry, particularly in the cow -calf sector, not only in
Grey -Bruce, where she was located, but across the province. Russworm initiated
several programs to improve beef production including the Ontario Beef Heifer
Improvement Program and production of the video "Assessing the Market Value
of Beef Calves." The award was presented at the OIA's Ottawa convention.0
Alex Leith appointed by Queen's Bush
Queen's Bush Rural Ministries
has named Alex Leith of Durham as
co-ordinator of the organization
which helps people in the Grey -
Bruce area.
Leith brings a combination of
experience, skills and personality to
be able to assist rural people in
finding support, advice and resources
they require to deal with the crises
they encounter in their lives or
farming operations, said David
Morris, chair of the board of
directors.
As well as being a farmer himself,
Leith is a graduate of University of
Guelph's Ontario Agricultural
College. He served with OMAFRA
for 28 years as ARDA Counsellor,
Extension Assistant, Rural
Organization Specialist and, most
recently, Rural Community Advisor.
Prior to that he served eight years as
a field representative for Grey
County with the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture. He is also a long-time
member of Amos Presbyterian
Church in Egremont Township.
Leith succeeds Brian Ireland of
Teeswater who served as co-
ordinator for 12 years. Queen's Bush
Rural Ministries was established
during the height of the farm crisis in
1986 to help people living in the rural
areas and small towns of Grey and
Bruce and the northern portions of
Huron, Perth and Wellington.
Anyone requiring assistance can
contact Leith at Queen's Bush Rural
Ministries at 364-6774.0
Black appointed
to 4-H council's
top post
Rob Black , who previously
served at the OMAFRA offices in
Stratford and Fergus, is the new
Executive Director for the Ontario
4-H Council. Black, comes to 4-H
from a position of Field Services
Manager, with the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs.
Black brings extensive
experience in human resource
management, administration,
leadership, communication and
team building to this position, but
it is his deep understanding of the
value of the 4-H program, which
will be paramount to the success of
the new delivery model.
He is well known by 4-H
volunteers who have participated
in his workshops and who have
enjoyed his guest auctioneering
talents at 4 -H's Conference and
Annual Meeting. Black earned his
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
from the University of Guelph and
his Bachelor of Education from
Queen's University.
Black's career began as a Rural
Community Advisor serving
Lindsay, Peterborough, Stratford
and Fergus. Then he worked at
Centralia College as Conference
Co-ordinator. He was a Rural
Leadership Consultant and a
Redeployment Advisor for
OMAFRA before moving to the
Ministry of Energy, Science and
Technology as a Project Manager.
He was the Executive Assistant for
Food Industry and Corporate
Services and an acting Field
Services Manager in Duff's
Corners. He also managed the
Ontario Research and Develop-
ment Challenge Fund.
As Field Services Manager, he
provides management, leadership
advice and support to field staff,
maintains field services area
budgets and ensures effective
delivery of programs and policies.0