Welcome to New Advisory & Thanks to Outgoing Leadership
Posted: July 30, 2014
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario
We are pleased to announce the new Sustain Ontario Advisory Council. This diverse group of leaders from across the province will be responsible for recommending policy and advocacy priorities for Sustain Ontario over the next two years. In two weeks we will be announcing the new Steering Committee, Chair, and Vice-Chair as well.
Thanks to Sustain Ontario’s Outgoing Leadership
From 2012-2014, Sustain Ontario has grown and helped to transform Ontario’s food systems under the leadership of an engaged, knowledgeable and fun-loving group of people. Their time, dedication, vision, and abilities have made Sustain Ontario’s efforts successful, and have laid the groundwork for future successes.
As the new Chair, Vice-Chair, Steering Committee and Advisory Council (all soon to be announced!) take the reigns, we thought we’d take the opportunity to say thanks for some of the most exceptional efforts of our leadership. Our memories aren’t good enough to remember all of the special efforts, so we’ve certainly missed some! Nevertheless, here is some due thanks for some exceptional work (in no particular order) .
Some of the biggest successes of the last few years have been the passage of the 2013 Local Food Act, the drafting of the Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy, and Bring Food Home 2013. All of Sustain Ontario’s leadership contributed a great deal of time, thought, and effort to making these initiatives the successes they were. Additionally all of Sustain Ontario’s leadership have provided guidance and advice on countless internal and external questions.
The entire Steering Committee got, perhaps, more than they bargained for overseeing two transitions in the role of Director during this time period, and managed to keep Sustain Ontario on track despite the turbulence.
Co-Chairs Bryan Gilvesy and Karen Hutchinson have consistently and doggedly supported Sustain Ontario’s government relations and fundraising efforts.
Pat Learmonth, Janet Horner, and Moe Garahan put forward a huge effort, conducting a thorough governance review, and updating the Terms of Reference.
Moe Garahan, Karen Hutchinson, and Janet Horner have also been key supports to staff as the Human Resources Committee.
Heather Thoma, Tom Manley, Jodi Koberinski, Janet Horner, and Lauren Baker have all helped to craft our new membership approach and have supported membership development.
While all of the leadership contributed to the Bring Food Home conference, Janet Horner put in an heroic effort as the Program Chair. Shaewat Zeru and Vanessa Ling Yu also helped to create the Bring Food Home program. Linda Davies put in a tremendous effort on the site selection committee. Julia Gilmore and Rebecca LeHeup of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance also contributed a great deal to creating the feast for Bring Food Home.
Joseph Leblanc supported the nominations committee in finding great people to stand for the Advisory Council election.
Lynn Roblin has led the Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy and has made sure that Sustain Ontario’s members have had many opportunities to inform the strategy.
Anne Bell, Pat Learmonth, and Theresa McClenaghan all put in a particularly large effort in helping Sustain Ontario to provide input into the Provincial Policy Statement. Anne Bell and Theresa McClenaghan have also helped to keep Sustain Ontario involved in environmental conversations.
Meredith Hayes has been the Advisory Council link in the development of the Ontario Edible Education Network, and Wayne Roberts has helped to inform the Student Nutrition Program element of this work. This is, of course, in incredible work of the Steering Committee and Advisory of the Edible Education Network.
Christie Young has been a champion and visionary for the Food, Farms, Fish and Finance event and work that Sustain Ontario has done, and Tom Manley has helped to provide guidance and ideas for this work.
Jamie Reaume has been a consistent source of insight and advice for Sustain Ontario’s government relations work.
Lauren Baker, Janet Horner, Don Mills, and Meredith Hayes have helped to inform Sustain Ontario’s work on institutional procurement and farm-to-cafeteria.
Janet Horner and Bryan Gilvesy helped to design and put on the Carving Our Niche grass fed beef event.
Vanessa Ling Yu has led sustainable restaurants efforts.
Jeff Crump made a delicious contribution to Sustain Ontario’s presence at the Queen’s Park Farmers Market.
And every member of our leadership provided guidance and direction on Sustain Ontario’s governance, direction, government relations and policy efforts. All of those of us working to transform Ontario’s food systems owe them a huge thanks for their efforts in their day-to-day work and through Sustain Ontario.
Snapshots from the Advisory Council Meeting in March 2013
Sustain Ontario’s Leadership 2012-2014
Co-Chairs
| Karen Hutchinson | Executive Director, Caledon Countryside Alliance |
| Bryan Gilvesy | Owner, Y U RanchChair, Norfolk County ALUS Pilot Project |
Steering Committee
| Lauren Baker | Manager, Toronto Food Policy Council, Toronto Public Health |
| Kathryn Scharf | VP, National Programs, Community Food Centres Canada |
| Rod MacRae | Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University |
| Moe Garahan | Director, Just Food Ottawa |
| Janet Horner | Chair, Golden Horseshoe Food & Farming Alliance and Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee |
| Pat Learmonth | Director, Farms at Work |
Advisory Council
| Christie Young | Executive Director, Farmstart |
| Devorah Belinsky | Nutritional Anthropologist and Consultant |
| Ann Bell | Director of Conservation and Education, Ontario Nature |
| Shae Zeru | Afri-Can FoodBasket |
| Karen Burson | Former Project Manager, Hamilton Eat Local, Environment Hamilton |
| Erin Chapelle | Proprietor, Karma Marketplace |
| Kathy Chaumont and Yvette Plentai | Agente de développement, RDEE Ontario |
| David Cohlmeyer | Sustainable Foods Consultant |
| Don Mills | Former President, Local Food Plus |
| Jeff Crump | Partner and Executive Chef, Landmark Group |
| Linda Davies | Executive Director, London Community Resource Centre |
| Voula Halliday | formerly of Slow Food Toronto |
| Meredith Hayes | Senior Manager, Student Nutrition and School Program, FoodShare |
| Bridget King | Member, Sudbury Food Connections |
| Jodi Koberinski | Executive Director, Organic Council of Ontario |
| Joseph LeBlanc | True North Community Co-op |
| Rebecca LeHeup and Julia Gilmore | Executive Director, Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance |
| Elisa Levi | The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples |
| Vanessa Ling Yu | Director, FoodSpokes |
| Tom Manley | Owner and Operator, Homestead Organics |
| Theresa McClenaghan | Executive Director and Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association |
| Connie Nelson | Professor, Lakehead University, Food Security Research Network |
| Jamie Reaume | Executive Director, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association |
| Wayne Roberts | Consultant, wayneroberts.ca |
| Lynn Roblin | Nutrition Consultant, Dietitians of Canada |
| Ken Mills | National Farmers Union |
| Lori Stahlbrand | Founder and Special Advisor, Local Food Plus |
| Heather Thoma | Farmer, LoonSong Garden |
| David Thompson | Project Coordinator, Rural Agri-Innovation Network, Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre |
| Elbert van Donkersgoed | Consultant |
| Sheleena Forfar | Project Manager, Community Development, Evergreen Brick Works |