Livestock Research Innovation Corporation re-appoints chair, vice chair

The Chair and Vice Chair of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) have been re-appointed to their positions for another year. Don Gordon, who farms in Durham Region and represents Dairy Farmers of Ontario on the LRIC board will serve a second year as Chair of the organization, and RJ Taylor, Managing Director of the Ontario Aquaculture Association and co-owner of Cedar Crest Trout Farms, will continue as Vice Chair. 

LRIC also welcomed a new director to its board at its annual general meeting on June 20. Karen Sanders takes over from Tara Terpstra as the new representative from Ontario Pork. Sanders is a pork producer in Lambton County and a director with Ontario Pork. She will serve as LRIC's secretary.

“Research and innovation are key pillars of the continued growth and prosperity of Ontario’s livestock sector and I’m pleased to lead the LRIC board for another year as we continue to work to drive innovation in this industry,” says Gordon. “We welcome our new director to the LRIC board and look forward to the knowledge and skills she will bring to not just this organization, but to the livestock industry as a whole.”

LRIC’s other current board members include Richard Horne (Beef Farmers of Ontario) who is also LRIC's treasurer, Ian Ross (Grand Valley Fortifiers), Brian Miller (poultry industry representative), and Jim White (consultant). Dr. Rene Van Acker, Vice President of Research at the University of Guelph, and Doug Reddick, Director, Research and Innovation Branch at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, serve as ex-officio members on the LRIC board. Two appointed board positions will be filled once LRIC’s new CEO is in place; the organization’s current CEO, Mike McMorris, will be retiring this summer.

“The broad perspectives of this team and the strong partnerships LRIC has built with industry partners support our ongoing drive to find solutions for the big challenges that face livestock production, from animal disease to climate change and more,” adds Gordon.

LRIC provides its members with an end-to-end research system, communications of discoveries in the context of livestock reality, identification of emerging issues and a focus on a further horizon that includes proactively examining and understanding challenges and opportunities for the sector. 

Livestock Research Innovation Corporation was established in 2012 with support from Ontario’s beef, pork, dairy and poultry sector organizations and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. LRIC’s mission is driving innovation, and the organization takes a value chain approach to research and innovation by providing leadership in research priority setting, coordination and process; identifying and communicating emerging issues; and strengthening networks across the sector. LRIC is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.