New head for east coast Canadians
An award-winning executive manager who has worked in the environmental non-profit sector for more than 20 years has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association (ACFFA).
Susan Farquharson, a former Executive Director of the Canadian Rivers Institute, begins her new role this week. Resident in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, she is currently in the final stage of an MA in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University.
A Project Management Professional (PMP) certified project manager, Ms Farquharson has brought her skills and talent to a wide variety of organizations, including the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency, the New Brunswick Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Canadian Water Network and most recently the town of St Andrews, where she developed the Southwest New Brunswick transportation model.
“Ms Farquharson brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to our organization,” says Larry Ingalls, Chair of the ACFFA. “Our Board of Directors is looking forward to working with her as we continue to build our industry in the region.”
Farquharson is actively involved in her community - volunteering on both a local service district advisory committee and serving as a past director of a regional service commission. Her work and volunteer activities have been acknowledged with awards, including the New Brunswick Environmental Leadership Award and the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award.
“I’m excited to begin this new chapter in my career. Salmon farming is an incredibly dynamic, diverse and ever-evolving industry that plays an important role in sustainable communities,” says Ms Farquharson.
“I’m looking forward to working with all our members, industry colleagues and stakeholders as we continue to grow this sector, which is an important part of a diversified economic base for rural coastal communities that helps to meet the growing demand for quality protein.”
Farquharson replaces Pamela Parker, who finished her over six-year tenure last week at the ACFFA’s annual Fall Forum.
“Pam has been a strong voice for our industry at the regional, national and international level. On behalf of our Board of Directors and our industry, I’d like to thank Pam for her commitment, dedication and tenacity as she worked for our members,” said Ingalls. “We’re sad to see her go, but are happy she will continue to work in this industry from British Columbia.”
Approximately 140 salmon farmers, industry stakeholders, scientists, researchers, provincial and federal government representatives, and community members attended the conference in St Andrews, which was held in conjunction with the ACFFA’s AGM. Workshop participants heard presentations on a variety of topics, including: climate change; cleaner fish; lobster populations; sea lice trends; environmental management and an award-winning partnership to help recover endangered wild salmon.
The ACFFA also released its 2015 Year in Review, which can be found on the ACFFA website www.atlanticfishfarmers.com at: http://0304.nccdn.net/1_5/000/000/0c7/022/ACFFA-Year-in-Review-2015.pdf.
