CPC and FVGC congratulate David Jones on Retirement; Call for applications for new General Manager, Canadian Potato Council

OTTAWA - Bill Zylmans, Chair of the Canadian Potato Council (CPC) and Rebecca Lee, Executive Director of the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) are happy to share the upcoming retirement of David Jones in March of 2023. David has served as the General Manager of the CPC and Manager of Potato Industry Coordination for FVGC for the past 11 years.

The CPC Executive Committee has initiated a competitive search process to identify qualified candidates to fill the role of General Manager of the CPC. A review of firms to assist in the search process has been completed and the committee is happy to announce that they have retained the services of Litherland & Co., an organization that has supported executive search management specializing in the Canadian agricultural sector since 1993.

David graduated from the University of Guelph with a Master’s degree in Crop Science and has devoted his entire 40-year career to the agricultural sector. During his career, he has worked in areas ranging from field research to regulatory activities in both the public and private sectors. He has spent the last 11 years of his career working as the General Manager of CPC. “Being able to conclude my career representing potato growers across Canada has been extremely special to me,” said David Jones. “Potato growers are hardworking business people and they provide a lot of value to Canadians every day. No amount of adversity slows them down, and it has been incredibly rewarding advocating for them at a national level.”

David has worked with the 11 provincial potato grower member organizations of the CPC to collectively and collaboratively address and solve serious issues facing potato growers related to plant health, pesticides, and trade and industry standards. He considers this work among his best accomplishments. In retirement, David looks forward to spending much more time at campsites with his wife Karen and their children, their children’s spouses, and their three young grandchildren.

The General Manager position was posted on November 17, 2022 and can be accessed at  https://www.agcareers.com/litherland--company/general-manager-job-903411.cfm.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply until the competition closes on December 15, 2022 at 5:00 pm EDT. It is expected that interviews will be conducted January 9 -27 with the goal of the successful candidate commencing their role in March 2023.

“The CPC Executive Committee is excited to bring Litherland & Co. on board to provide executive search management expertise to the hiring process for a new General Manager for the organization,” said Bill Zylmans, Chair of the Canadian Potato Council. “We thank David for his years of dedicated service and look forward to working with him to transition a new General Manager into the role.”

The CPC Executive Committee looks forward to finding and working with the new General Manager to continue the success of the CPC in advancing the interests of Canadian potato growers on issues of national significance.

The Canadian Potato Council (CPC) was established to represent Canadian potato growers from coast-to-coast on issues of national significance through the collaboration and cooperation of eleven-member provincial potato grower organizations. The CPC has two elected representatives per province from eleven grower organizations in the eight major potato-producing provinces. The overall objective of the CPC is to improve the economic well-being of potato growers in Canada.

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) represent growers across the country involved in the production of over 120 different types of crops on over 14,237 farms, with farm cash receipts of $5.7 billion in 2020. They are an Ottawa-based voluntary, not-for-profit, national association, and, since 1922, have advocated on important issues that impact Canada’s fresh produce sector, promoting healthy, safe, and sustainable food, ensuring the continued success and growth of their industry.