The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) has appointed five new members to its board of directors, bringing its total to 11.

This news comes after leaders within the agriculture and food community endorsed CCFI to be the national coordinator of public trust activities in Canada’s food system. This results in one, united voice for public trust in Canada’s food system and the new additional board of directors are a direct result of CCFI’s expanded mandate. 

Joining the CCFI board of directors are:

James Donaldson, CEO, BC Food & Beverage. James brings more than 25 years of experience and success in the BC food industry. His background includes working with a broad range of businesses from start-up ventures to multi-national corporations.  He has held positions with companies such as Diageo, Yves Veggie Cuisine, BC Hot House Foods and Maple Leaf Foods in sales, marketing, and general management functions. 

Mike Dungate, former executive director, Chicken Farmers of Canada. Mike brings extensive business, human resource management and government relations expertise to the board.

Darlene McBain, manager, industry relations, Farm Credit Canada. Born and raised on a poultry farm outside of Quebec City, Darlene has first-hand knowledge of the hard work and dedication that goes into a successful farm operation.

Shanna Munro, president & CEO of Restaurants Canada. Shanna is a senior executive with extensive experience in the foodservice, retail, entertainment and financial services industries across North America, spanning more than 25 years. 

Janet Riley, vice president of communications and public affairs, Maple Leaf Foods.  As the voice of the North American Meat Institute for 28 years, Janet has deep experience in public relations, media relations, crisis management, issues management and animal welfare.  Riley joined Maple Leaf in 2019 to lead internal and external communications.

The five new directors will be joining the CCFI board of directors currently comprised of Adele Buettner, founder and president, AgriBiz Communications Corp; Sylvie Cloutier, CEO of Quebec Food Processing Council (CTAQ); Kim McConnell, a founder and former CEO of AdFarm; Gwen Paddock, vice president Southwestern Ontario Agriculture, RBC Royal Bank; Mary Robinson, farmer, agribusiness owner, and president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA); and Jean-Marc Ruest, senior vice-president, corporate affairs and general counsel.

Source:  Canadian Centre for Food Integrity November 27, 2019 news release