What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I have completed a Bachelor of Science in animal biology at the University of Guelph. Presently, I am in the process of finishing my Master of Science in animal behaviour and welfare, with a focus on dairy calf feeding behaviour, under the guidance of Dr. Trevor DeVries at the University of Guelph. I conducted my research at the Kemptville College campus on the effect of feeding strategy and social housing on behaviour of dairy calves at weaning.

Please describe your agricultural background.
I grew up on my family’s dairy farm, Overdale Farms, in L’Orignal, Ontario, east of Ottawa. I have been extensively involved in day-to-day farm operations and the farm’s breeding program from a young age. I also worked as a summer research assistant at Kemptville College during my time as a Guelph student. This was a great opportunity to work with a different herd of cattle under a different management system in addition to providing in-depth exposure to dairy research.

What territory will you cover?
This new position is a nationwide project. I will meet with producers, industry partners and software vendors across Canada to gain the best perspective on this subject.

What are your new responsibilities?
In this position, I will conduct a review of all automated systems and data made available to producers and their industry advisory teams from these systems. I will then communicate with industry members and producers to bring forward ideas for how to integrate this type of data and software with existing Holstein Canada services to make the use of these services easier for members.

What previous positions have you held?
Aside from summer positions held during my university career, this is my first full-time position. During my time at Guelph, I was employed as a dairy research assistant, working on various dairy cattle research projects and conducting three research projects of my own.

Who has made the biggest impact on your career?
I would not be this passionate about the dairy industry if I wasn’t raised by a true cowman. My father’s enthusiasm for the Holstein breed really inspired me to get involved and stay involved in the industry. My master’s advisor, Dr. Trevor DeVries’ endless patience and research expertise have really helped me develop my research and presentation skills over the past three years.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
I will be prepared to discuss their concerns and ideas for improving the input, flow and transfer of on-farm data. My job is to act as a liaison between producers, software vendors and Holstein Canada in order to facilitate better flow of data. I hope that my background in dairy farming and dairy cattle research will allow me to gain a solid understanding of any issues producers may have with the association’s services and offer helpful solutions.

Why did you choose this company?
Holstein Canada has an undeniably strong reputation for being a source of steady leadership and innovation in the dairy industry. Growing up on a farm, I have been able to use and experience the benefits of the services provided by Holstein Canada, and this position is a great opportunity to contribute to an association that really works for its members.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
This position fits into Holstein Canada’s strategic plan and answers requests from the members to improve the flow of data from the farm to the association. My goal in this position is to facilitate this change in information transfer so that members can more efficiently use services, such as registration.  PD