BC DAIRY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Dairy Education Coordinator
From her time in 4-H to being the wife of a dairy farmer, Aimee has a passion for the industry and loves anything to do with cows. In her role at BC Dairy, she coordinates dairy education programs that promote dairy farming in the community. You'll often find her walking through the fields with her dog Benson at her family's farm.
Job Titles:
- Secretary / Representative from the Mainland Region of BC
Casey is a second generation farmer in the Fraser Valley. Along with his wife Sarah, they farm 200 acres and milk 300 cows in Abbotsford. Using agri-technology to improve farm efficiency has been a focus for Casey. His farm features a new state-of-the-art calf barn, a rotary milking parlour, and manure separator that turns removed solids into bedding material after it's been composted for the cows. Casey is on the Mainland Milk Producers' Association board, sits on several advisory committees for the BC Milk Marketing Board, and is currently serving his first year on the Abbotsford Agricultural Advisory Committee. In his spare time, Casey coaches his children's sports teams and is involved with his local church council.
Job Titles:
- Director of Community Engagement
With a serious passion for cooking, and an appreciation for the visual arts, Catherine loves to connect with others to share stories about food and farming as the lead of BC Dairy's community engagement team.
When she's offline, Catherine can usually be found experimenting in the kitchen, checking out local restaurants, or somewhere outdoors exploring beautiful BC.
Job Titles:
- Director of Producer & Public Affairs
Christine grew up on a dairy farm, working alongside her family. As a professional agrologist, Christine works with farmers, industry, and all levels of government to support a sustainable dairy industry in BC. Christine is interested in natural resource conservation, ecosystem restoration, and the role that farms play in a supporting a healthy environment. When she's not in the office, Christine can be found in the barn.
Job Titles:
- Public Affairs Specialist
Daniella is a strong advocate for promoting local industry here in our backyard - contributing more jobs to the economy and increasing BC's food security. As the Public Affairs Specialist, Daniella manages BC Dairy's government engagement for dairy producers across the province. In her spare time, you can find Daniella on a mountain, paddling on the water, and checking out the best local restaurants around BC.
Job Titles:
- Representative from Vancouver Island
Dave is a third generation dairy farmer on Vancouver Island. Together with his wife Lisa, his brother, parents, son and nephew, all three generations milk 120 purebred holsteins and farm 400 acres in the Comox Valley. The Taylors have won several awards for producing top quality milk for BC and Vancouver Island consumers. They were also winners of the Canadian Outstanding Young Farmers award in 2008. Leadership within the industry has been a focus for Dave and his family. In addition to his role at BC Dairy, Dave serves on the Island Milk Producers Organization, is the BC representative for Dairy Farmers of Canada and is involved with a number of committees at a local and national level. Dave is a strong advocate for exemplary farming practices promoting sustainability in both agriculture and everyday life.
Job Titles:
- Community Partnerships Manager
With a corporate relations background in nonprofits, Donna is a strong proponent of community support and creating meaningful relationships. As the Community Partnerships Manager, she works to further the mission of BC Dairy and Alberta Milk by developing and executing partnerships that make a positive contribution to communities across BC and Alberta.
Originally from Toronto, Donna has an even greater appreciation of the Vancouver landscape that she now calls home. In her free time, you can find her exploring the city and spending time with her friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Nutrition Educator
- Registered Dietitian With
Erica Cahill, RD Nutrition Educator 604 294 3775, ext. 219 As a registered dietitian with BC Dairy, Erica contributes to our vision of a healthy, thriving British Columbia through the promotion of BC Dairy's innovative food and nutrition education programs and advocating for dairy as a part of a balanced and healthy diet. When she isn't working you can find her outside gardening, camping with friends, reading, or in the kitchen trying new recipes, especially those that use her favourite dairy products!
Job Titles:
- Representative from Southern BC
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Chairman of the Board / Representative from the Mainland Region of BC
Holger is a second-generation dairy farmer in Agassiz. Together with his wife and three sons, Holger farms 210 acres and milks 160 cows in a three-robot barn. Holger is passionate about environmental leadership, serving on the Climate Action Initiative provincial steering committee, proAction environment pillar working group, as well as the provincial Environmental Farm Plan advisory group. Holger is also the president of the Kent Recycling Program and a Commissioner for the Agricultural Land Commission.
Job Titles:
- Director of People & Culture
Holly leads all things People & Culture at BC Dairy and is responsible for supporting BC Dairy's most important asset to achieving its mission - its people!
Originally from the U.K., Holly now calls BC home, where she loves to explore the outdoors, spending every opportunity she gets either in the water or up a mountain.
Job Titles:
- Administration & Finance Coordinator
As the Administration & Finance Coordinator, Jamie helps to ensure our hybrid workforce operates smoothly. Born and raised in Malaysia, Jamie studied in Japan before making Canada her home. Jamie has always believed in ‘buying local' to promote a healthy and sustainable economic chain. During her spare time, she takes her kids out to explore nature and food!
Job Titles:
- Director of Market Development
Growing up in the Fraser Valley, Jennifer is passionate about food and agriculture, especially if it comes from BC. As the Director of Marketing, Jennifer channels this passion for local food and farmers through visually compelling advertising campaigns that tell the story of BC dairy farmers and the high quality products they produce. On the weekends, you'll find her exploring local parks with her family.
Job Titles:
- Digital Communications Coordinator
As the Digital Communications Coordinator, Jennifer manages BC Dairy's social media channels and is passionate about creating engaging content that gets people excited about dairy. As a local to Vancouver, she loves discovering new local spots that serve the best cuisine. Jennifer is also a latte and travel enthusiast so you'll likely find her at a local coffee shop planning her next adventure.
Jeremy Dunn General Manager 604 294 3775, ext. 208 Jeremy leads the team at BC Dairy in supporting its mandate to create a positive environment for dairy farmers and their customers. He brings 20 years of experience to the organization in business leadership, strategic planning, issues management and stakeholder engagement . Growing up on Vancouver Island, Jeremy has always had an appreciation for locally produced food. On the weekends, he loves to prepare meals with his wife and two young kids.
Joel Barohn, MS, RD, Chef Manager of Nutrition and Health Programs 604 294 3775, ext. 209 After working as health and wellness coordinator for a dairy association in Texas, Joel moved to BC in 2016. As a registered dietitian at BC Dairy, Joel contributes to the mission of promoting health through leadership and innovation in nutrition education at schools and among fellow health professionals. Outside of work, Joel enjoys cooking and spending time with his family exploring BC.
Job Titles:
- Representative from Southern BC
Together with their two sons, John and June DeDood began farming in 1983 in the Okanagan Valley. They currently farm 300 acres and milk 110 cows in Grindrod. John and his family have diversified into agri-tourism, incorporating an on-farm destination called Farmer John's Market, which showcases agriculture and offers locals and tourists locally produced meat and produce, unique crafts by local artisans, a restaurant and an ice cream parlour. John has served as the president of the Kamloops Okanagan Dairy Association, and currently sits on the executive in addition to participating in several committees. With BC Dairy, he chairs the Dairy Research and Innovation committee.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer / Member - at - Large
John Kerkhoven is a second-generation dairy farmer from the Fraser Valley where he lives and farms with his wife, Darcie. His farm has two divisions; a dairy where he milks 120 cows, delivering a portion of the production to the grass-fed market, and a nursery specializing in greenhouse and outdoor cut flowers. John has been actively involved in agriculture leadership roles for over 17 years. Additionally, he is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Nicomen Island Improvement District, which is responsible for the diking and drainage of Nicomen Island. As part of his role as Treasurer on the BC Dairy board, John is the Chair of the Finance and Audit committee.
Job Titles:
- Quality Assurance Manager
Kelsey manages the proAction team at BC Dairy. Providing training, education and technical support on the proAction program to producers and industry stakeholders. Kelsey has always had a passion for agriculture. Having grown up in the Fraser Valley, participating in 4-H and later working as a veterinary assistant and dairy genetics technician, she brings a wealth of technical knowledge and producer support experience to BC Dairy. When not at her desk, Kelsey can be found camping and off-roading with her husband and young son.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Independent Director
- Producer
Ken Miller is a non-producer Director who lives in Vancouver. While he doesn't milk any cows, Ken has been working in the dairy industry for more than 20 years, holding senior sales and marketing positions with national and local dairy processors as well as contributing to BC Dairy's Marketing, Education and Community Engagement Committee before joining the board. Additionally, Ken is the Treasurer of an Independent school in Vancouver and has served on several other not for profit community boards.
Kristine grew up in Vancouver and has a passion for getting people excited about dairy. As the Marketing Manager, Kristine shares her expertise in visual design and marketing when creating advertising campaigns. In her spare time she gets excited about travelling, exploring BC for local foods, and participating in her toddler's latest accomplishments.
Job Titles:
- Representative from Northern BC
Although not brought up as a "farm girl," Lindsay grew up in the Bulkley Valley and has embraced country life since her second generation dairy farmer husband Janik, started dairying on his original homestead in the Bulkley Valley in 2009. They took over full operations in 2015, and together with their four daughters milk 100 cows, raise 250 cow-calf pairs, harvest over 2000 acres of crops and manage over 6000 acres of rangeland. As their dairy and beef business has grown, so has Lindsay's desire to incorporate flowers, with her newest business-Robin Creek Flower Farm. Lindsay is a strong advocate for advancing women in agriculture and brings that to her work as Vice-chair of the Dairy Industry Research and Education Committee (DIREC), President of the Bulkley Valley Dairy Association, and as a director of the Bulkley Valley Cattlemen's Association. In addition, Lindsay volunteers her time as the Chair of the Northern Agricultural Gala, and volunteers with her daughters' 4-H Club.
Job Titles:
- Representative from the Mainland Region of BC
Mark is a third generation dairy farmer in Chilliwack. Along with his wife Christa he operates a 325 cow dairy and a 50 acre blueberry farm. His farm utilizes five DeLaval robots to milk and manage their cows, as well as a complete sand recovery system which removes sand from the manure which is reused as bedding for the animals. Mark enjoys working on behalf of farmers to help keep the dairy industry strong for future generations. He is currently the president of the Mainland Milk Producers Association and active on several committees. In his spare time he enjoys being outdoors with his family and supports his local community as a paid on call firefighter.
Milai Burnett Director of Finance and Administration 604 294 3775, ext. 213 Milai is responsible for the financial side of BC Dairy's operations and reporting. When not crunching numbers, Milai can be found exploring local trails with her daughters and their dogs or sampling local wines at the many vineyards BC has to offer.
Morgan grew up on a hobby farm with a couple holsteins in southwestern Manitoba, where her passion for dairy was ignited. She has worked across western Canada in a variety of different capacities in the dairy industry at the farm level. She brings almost two decades of experience with her to BC Dairy. She is excited to help support BC dairy producers in her role as Producer Support Manager.
Natasha is an administration generalist and expert at getting things done. Her can-do attitude and attraction to a dynamic workflow are the perfect qualities for her role as BC Dairy's Office Manager. Born and educated in beautiful BC, Natasha raised her sporty family (hockey, lacrosse, baseball, softball, track & field) in the Lower Mainland. Outside the office, she enjoys being an amateur vegetable gardener, cheering on a variety of sports teams and traveling with her husband.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair / Member - at - Large
Sarah operates a dairy farm in Rosedale, B.C. alongside her husband Gene and brother-in-law Grant. Together, they milk 150 cows with three robots and farm 170 acres. With over a decade of dairy farming experience, Sarah has a passion for communicating about modern dairy farming with consumers, partners, and policymakers and connecting with future generations around the importance of a sustainable dairy industry. Sarah serves as BC Dairy's Vice-Chair, Vice President of the BC Agriculture Council, and is a member of the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the City of Chilliwack. Sarah is also an advocate for autism awareness and volunteers for the annual "Saccomaniacs Agriculture for Autism" golf tournament which raises money for the Pacific Autism Family Network.
Job Titles:
- Provincial ProAction Coordinator
Tamara Pottrick Provincial proAction Coordinator 604 294 3775, ext. 216 Growing up on an organic berry farm in Abbotsford, Tamara has always had an interest in agriculture. As a program coordinator, she works on daily administration of the proAction program. Outside of her work for BC Dairy she spends most of her time at her second full-time job on a nearby dairy farm, or enjoying the outdoors with friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Community Partnerships Specialist
Born and raised in Vancouver, Wendy loves all things grown and made in BC. She jokes she's a jack-of-many-trades and master-of-none. Hence at BC Dairy, her role spans from corporate partnership development, graphic design, database management, advocate for healthy meals in schools to unloading the company dishwasher. She shares with everyone that crosses her path her respect and admiration for dairy farmers, and how genuine, down-to-earth and hardworking they are. On weekends you'll find her learning to cook traditional dishes with her mom and acting goofy with her young nieces and nephews.