In addition, Doug Sawyer, current interim chair and member since 2017, has been appointed chair.

The new Marketing Council members will bring experienced guidance and oversight to Alberta’s seven agricultural marketing boards and 13 commissions.

Established in 1965 by the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAPA), the Marketing Council is a regulatory agency that oversees the governance and ongoing operation of Alberta’s marketing boards and commissions and administers the regulations under the MAPA.

“Alberta’s marketing boards and commissions are responsible for keeping one of Alberta’s most important industries alive. The new appointments are active, important voices for our province’s farmers and ranchers.”

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

Marketing Council appointments

  • Doug Sawyer, chair – A cow/calf producer with more than 30 years of experience on provincial and federal boards and committees.
  • Stanley Church, Q.C., vice-chair – A Calgary lawyer who has served on multiple boards and commissions, including the Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon Safety Commission.
  • Patricia Henderson – An experienced agriculture professional and currently a director with United Farmers of Alberta.
  • Julie Stitt – A value chain consultant with years of experience with many livestock organizations, including Genome Alberta.

Quick facts

  • MAPA enables producers of agricultural products in Alberta to organize under entities known as marketing boards and commissions (MBCs) which assist farmers with the production and marketing of their products.
  • In addition to helping MBCs function effectively and serve the collective interests of their respective agricultural industry, the public, and agricultural stakeholders, the Marketing Council advises the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry on matters relating to the establishment, operation and management of MBCs.
  • The Marketing Council is accountable for more than 70 regulations related to the production and marketing of over 20 agricultural commodities – more than half of Agriculture and Forestry’s total regulations.
  • Marketing Council members may serve as many as two terms of up to three years; the chair may serve up to two terms totalling not more than 10 years.