Staff
AgScape’s staff would be happy to provide you with information about our programs and services.
Mira Lyonblum
Sharon Bowes
Catherine Melillo
Sheri Budhram
Shaunna MacQuarrie
Madison Lammers
Chrissy King
Mac Waugh
Lianna Manes
Chloe Leon
Ryan Cullen
Board
AgScape is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, elected from the membership and appointed from the public sector.
Victoria Berry
Chair (Corporate Director) Grain Farmers of Ontario
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Victoria is an accomplished communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in influencer relations, social media, strategic communications, brand management, storytelling and team leadership. She is passionate about audience definition, story-driven communications, collaboration and relationship building. Her experience includes leading teams through times of positive and negative sentiment. When she led the developer PR team at BlackBerry, she had to attract Android developers to a net new platform. This required a new way of thinking about engaging and educating this audience.
Sarah Andrewes
Vice Chair (Community Director) H+K Strategies
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Sarah Andrewes has more than 20 years of communications consulting experience. At Hill+KnowltonStrategies (H+K), she develops strategies that build and manage reputation and drive awareness of causes, products and services, working with clients in a range of sectors notably agriculture and food. She has also led operational initiatives including employee training and business continuity activities.
Sarah enthusiastically supports local agriculture and food. Her passion is rooted in her family’s farming history. Her first job was on her family’s tender fruit farm in Niagara, now operated by her brother, a fifth-generation farmer.
Jim McMillan
Treasurer (Corporate Director) McMillan Farms
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Jim McMillan was born and raised on a beef farm about 3 miles north-east of Guelph. He was educated in Eramosa Township and graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Animal Science. His experience in sales taught him business management skills as well as people skills. McMillan Farms is a family enterprise, Jim works alongside of his wife, son and daughter in-law. For the past three years, Jim has enjoyed being a part of AgScape’s Board of Directors and is looking forward to serving for another term.
Kathryn Doan
Past Chair (Corporate Director) AgCareers.com, FoodGrads, De Lacy Executive Recruitment
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Kathryn Doan serves as the Chief Vision Officer of the Talent Solutions Team, which includes AgCareers.com, FoodGrads, CareersinFood and De Lacy Executive Recruitment group of businesses. She has been a key member of the team for more than 21 years.
She is passionate about agriculture and food, connecting people, and developing strong relationships in the food value chain as part of developing strong rural communities.
The AgCareers.com mission is to provide global talent solutions in agriculture and food. They strive to “Feed the World with Talent” in the industries they serve. FoodGrads actively attracts, educates, and supports people in pursuing a career in food and beverage processing. De Lacy Executive Recruitment provides professional recruitment services for employers and candidates in the agriculture and food sectors.
As a first-generation turkey farmer and crop farmer, her husband and their four girls reside in Oxford County. Kathryn is focused and committed to growing and developing the career solutions business that provides Talent Solutions for individuals, farmers, and agriculture and food businesses, locally and across the globe. Kathryn is an alumna of the University of Guelph with a Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, she dedicates her time to various volunteer roles. Serving as Chairperson of the Board of Directors with AgScape, she spearheads initiatives to integrate agriculture and food curriculum into the classroom. Furthermore, she holds a director position at the local Norwich & District Skating Club; she is also an active volunteer on the local Emily Stowe Public School Home & School Association and serves as a 4-H leader volunteer.
In 2023, Kathryn was the recipient of the Excellence in Agri-Food Talent Recruitment award. This award is given to an applicant who demonstrates innovation in agri-food sector labour force recruitment. The Excellence in Agriculture program recognizes excellence in the agriculture and food industry. Its purpose is to recognize and encourage outstanding efforts and innovations that are driving the agriculture and food sector forward & raise awareness of the importance of the agri-food sector and its impact on the Ontario economy.
Kathryn is a visionary and strategic leader with the ability to picture the vision and future and formulate comprehensive plans for successful business growth. As an innovator, developer, motivator, risk-taker, negotiator, and problem solver, Kathryn stands out in the world of leadership, pushing the boundaries and ensuring the company’s continuous success. Kathryn’s passion is to advocate on behalf of farmers and agriculture and food businesses, with the goal of connecting people to career opportunities in our full value chain.
Emily den Haan
(Corporate Director) Haanview Farms & Sheldon Creek Dairy
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Emily den Haan is a 3rd generation dairy farmer from Loretto, Ontario. HaanviewFarms Inc, is a modern dairy facility with two robotic milking systems and 500 acres of crops and Sheldon Creek Dairy Inc, (SCD) is an on-farm processing facility which crafts artisan dairy products. Emily and her sister, Marianne manage the businesses and have a progressive succession plan for assuming ownership.
Emily has a passion for modernized farming and loves sharing her knowledge with folks of all ages. The farm hosts regular tours for the public, retailers, and students to come and see how milk is produced, crops are grown and cattle are cared for.
Julian Brown
(Corporate Director) Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
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Julian is the Director of Agriculture and Education at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Julian has been working on large scale signature events for the past decade specializing in Peer to Peer fundraising. Having worked with some of the largest healthcare and athletic brands in North America, Julian is passionate about participant experience and connecting with an audience. In addition to large-scale events, Julian has spent time working with educational program delivery with a focus on digital and virtual content creation. Joining the team at The Royal, Julian has been able to merge a passion for agriculture with his events and educational experience. A product of the 4-H program and lifelong RAW exhibitor, Julian grew up splitting his time between town and farm, working alongside his family on their purebred Shorthorn cattle operation in Beaverton, ON.
Paighton Smyth
(Corporate Director) Trouw Nutrition Canada/Shur-Gain
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Paighton Smyth is the Associate Brand Manager, Ruminant at Trouw Nutrition Canada, working to develop innovative marketing strategies and demonstrate Trouw’s value to customers and the industry. Paighton graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc. in Animal Science and holds a MSc. in Capacity Development & Extension with a focus on agriculture career education and awareness.
Prior to joining Trouw Nutrition, Paighton worked with the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity designing the public trust research initiatives, developing communication strategies and supporting agri-food industry engagement. Paighton has worked with OMAFRA, the University of Guelph and local agriculture organizations in the roles of education, communications and project management.
Paighton is an enthusiastic young professional who brings a passion for agriculture and the Canadian food system to the table.
Jennifer Kyle
(Corporate Director) Beef Farmers of Ontario
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Jenn Kyle is the Manager of Public Engagement & Digital Strategy at the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO). Her main responsibility at BFO is the promotion of beef to the general public. She is also the team lead on BFO’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, a role for which she is very passionate. Jenn is a strong advocate for farmers’ mental health and is a certified Mental Health First Aid provider.
Outside of her day job, Jenn and her husband operate a dairy, beef, lamb, and cash crop farm with their family near Ayr, Ontario. She is a municipal councillor in the County of Brant, serving in her first term, where she chairs two committees and serves on a number of others.
Jenn has served two terms on the AgScape Board of Directors. She was vice chair for three years and has served three years as chair of the HR Committee. Jenn is a graduate of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) and is an active community volunteer.
Michael Black
(Corporate Director) Synthesis Agri-Food Network
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Michael is the Digital Team Lead at Synthesis Agri-Food Network and the Technology Team Lead at Farm Health Guardian, specializing in digital project management and web development within the agri-food sector. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in MIS.
Before his current roles, Michael applied his expertise in data analysis and IT systems management at Synthesis Agri-Food Network, contributing to projects that advanced agricultural technology and education. He volunteers with Sustainable Waterloo Region, Sing Canada Harmony, the TESS Research Foundation, and the Ontario District of the Barbershop Harmony Society, showcasing his commitment to community and education.
Michael brings a unique blend of technical savvy, strategic thinking, and a passion for innovation in agriculture and food systems to AgScape’s board of directors.
Joann Chechalk
(Community Director) Chausser’s Farms
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Joann works on the farm and is also a CPA who has spent a good deal of her career in Senior Administrative Positions at both the Municipal and Provincial levels and now consults on a variety of areas from Change Management to Land Development. She has sat on West Lincoln Council for 8 years and is still committed to assisting the community through her involvement as a board member with the WL Chamber of Commerce, and Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. Joann is also active with the West Lincoln Kiwanis and several community groups where the focus is on children and youth. She enjoys working on a board where collectively we can add value to the organization and help to make a difference while leaving the heavy lifting to the staff. My greatest excitement in working with organizations is promoting opportunities for children and youth to help them learn and prepare themselves for their eventual roles in life.
Phil Emmott
(Community Director)
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Phil Emmott grew up on a quaint 60-cow dairy farm in Brant County. Growing up, he was deeply immersed in 4-H and felt drawn to the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph, where he earned his degree. Phil then entered the world of agricultural finance and commercial banking, leveraging his background to specialize in agriculture/agri-business finance. In this role, he provided financial and succession planning solutions to farms and agribusinesses across Southwestern Ontario.
In 2012, Phil took a leap into crop nutrition, collaborating with independent retailers throughout Eastern Canada to help them access global fertilizers. After four years, he transitioned into crop protection with DuPont, working behind the scenes with retailers and growers to support their crop production goals. Phil currently works at Pioneer, collaborating with local agents to assist growers in selecting and positioning market-leading genetics for their farms. Beyond his professional life, he remains connected to his roots as an active member of the Ontario Agricultural College Alumni.
He earned his Certified Crop Advisor designation in 2018, joining their board in 2021 and sitting as the chair of the Ethics Committee. Phil continues to give back to the agricultural community as an Ontario Agricultural College Alumni Association Board Member and to his local community as a softball coach in Paris, Ontario.
Mason Ballek
(Community Director)
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Mason Ballek grew up on a grain farm in Saskatchewan. Coming from a family of educators, he understands the complexities of the education system and has a passion for educating the next generation on the importance of agriculture.
Mason has previous experience fundraising for groups, including the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association, Student Chapter. His previous work experience includes preparing financial statements and tax returns for farming businesses, as well as analyzing the financial capacity of a wide range of agriculture enterprises.
Mason has technical knowledge as a CPA, and working in finance will bring a useful skillset to the board. Mason is currently working at FarmTogether, a farmland investment company supporting the growth of permanent crops development (tree nuts, tree fruit, and wine grapes) in the United States. Mason’s role is to analyze potential investment opportunities and assist in portfolio measurement to maximize investor returns.
Catherine Mahler
(Board Advisor) Ontario Ministry of Education
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The Ontario Ministry of Education appoints a staff member from the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch to sit on the board of AgScape as a non-voting member. This representative provides the board with information concerning Ministry of Education initiatives that align with the vision and mission of AgScape.
Carmela Cupelli
(Board Advisor) Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
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Carmela is a Business Development Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and sits on the board of AgScape as a non-voting member.
