Story Posted: June 23, 2008

SCDC Announces New Executive Director

The board of directors of the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SCDC) are pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Folkersen to the position of Executive Director. Ms. Folkersen will assume her position July 28th, 2008.

Ms. Folkersen brings a wealth of leadership and management experience to the SCDC office. She has a long history of success at various positions in the food industry. Since 2004 she has served as the manager for the Ministry of Agriculture at the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre. This organization plays a leadership role in food product commercialization and food industry training for the food industry in Saskatchewan. Its services are instrumental in assisting food processors in the implementation of food safety programming and guidance in product and process development.

Previous to this Ms. Folkersen was engaged in several positions at the University of Saskatchewan in the department of Food Science and Horticultural Science. She has a strong background in board governance, extension activities, research management and stakeholder relations. In addition to her employment responsibilities, Ms. Folkersen is chair of Thompson Meats Ltd in Melfort.

She holds an MBA in Business Administration and a BSA from the University of Saskatchewan. Ms. Folkersen grew up in Ontario but her father was born, raised and farmed in Bruno, SK before moving to Sudbury. This connection drew her back to the province in 1983 where she has lived ever since.

"I am very pleased that Catherine has accepted the Board's offer to lead this organization," says Kelvin Meadows, Chairman of SCDC. "Catherine's extensive experience in fostering and managing relationships will be a tremendous asset in helping the Board and staff meet the challenges that today's competitive environment demands of Saskatchewan's canola producers."

The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission was established in 1991 to represent Saskatchewan's canola producers. Its mandate is to enhance canola producers' competitiveness and profitability through research, market development and communication activities. SCDC is directed by a democratically elected producer board. The organization is funded by a producer levy of .75 cents per tonne collected at delivery.

Canola continues to be one of the most important revenue sources for Saskatchewan Farmers. In 2007 Saskatchewan farmers seeded a record 7.1 million acres of canola that produced 3.9 million tonnes of canola seed which is about half of Canada's total production. Canola oil is growing in popularity among consumers and the restaurant industry. In 2007 it became the 2nd most popular oil in the U.S. Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat compared to other vegetable oils. It contains zero trans fat or cholesterol.

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