Staff
AgScape’s staff would be happy to provide you with information about our programs and services.
Amanda Robertson
Sharon Bowes
Catherine Melillo
Sheri Budhram
Shaunna MacQuarrie
Steve White
Madison Lammers
Chrissy King
Devin Iuliano
Chloe Leon
Courtney Wilker
Cassidy Wagler
Cassidy Cook
Board
AgScape is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, elected from the membership and appointed from the public sector.
Sarah Andrewes
Chair, Burson
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Sarah Andrewes has more than 20 years of communications consulting experience. At Burson, 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.
Victoria Berry
Vice Chair, Maple Leaf Foods
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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.
Jim McMillan
Treasurer, 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.
Julian Brown
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
Trouw Nutrition Canada/Shur-Gain
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Paighton is a marketing and stakeholder engagement professional in the Canadian agri-food sector, currently serving as Brand Manager, Ruminant at Trouw Nutrition Canada, where she leads brand strategies, product launches, and cross-functional initiatives. Paighton holds a Master’s in Capacity Development and Extension and a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Guelph. She will bring to the board an expertise in strategic marketing, stakeholder engagement, and governance, with experience in committee leadership and organizational planning. Paighton is available for the full term and is eager to serve on the board to provide practical insights, foster meaningful stakeholder connections, and help guide initiatives that create lasting impact in the sector.
Michael Black
Farm Health Guardian
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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.
Mike Dorrington
Ontario Genomics
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Mike Dorrington is an immunologist-by-training who has worked for the past five years in Ontario’s innovation economy, supporting the development and commercialization of genomics-based technologies, including in across the agriculture & food sector.
As a member of Ontario Genomics’ strategic partnerships team, Mike develops new projects and programs geared towards maximum impact for DNA-related technologies, writes grants, and liaises with countless members of the innovation ecosystems across Ontario and Canada.
Mike leads the wasteCANcreate upcycling consortium, which supports the development of bio-based technologies to convert agricultural waste into valuable products including food ingredients, textiles, bio-plastics, fuels, and more. He is also the OG lead for all education and talent development programs, including their work with AgScape in bringing genomics into Ontario’s classrooms.
Phil Emmott
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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
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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.
LeaAnne Wurmli
Beef Farmers of Ontario
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LeaAnne was born and raised on a beef farm in Paisley, Ontario, and is the daughter of an elementary school teacher, LeaAnne developed a strong work ethic and deep connection to both agriculture and community from an early age. She has spent nearly 20 years with the Beef Farmers of Ontario, building a career in communications and currently serving as Director of Communications, where she leads strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and issues management. She brings a deep understanding of the sector, along with a commitment to supporting farmers, agriculture advocacy and advancing the industry. She currently lives in Palmerston, Ontario with her husband and daughter.
Carmela Cupelli
Board Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
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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.
