The Board of Directors at United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Limited (UFA) announced the appointment of Jennifer Wood as their new board chair.
The election took place during UFA's recent Annual General Meeting on March 28th, when Kevin Hoppins announced he would be stepping down as Board Chair after serving in this role for the past 11 years. Hoppins will remain on the Board as a Director ensuring an orderly transition to a new chair.
Wood is the first woman to be elected as board chair for UFA in its 116 years.
"At the end of the day, really, the person that gets the position, that is the Chair of the organization, has to have the skills and the competencies and the experience, and I definitely brought that to the table," Wood shared with Discover Weyburn. "But I think what it means is it's just whoever is right for the role at the right time, the Board of Directors see that and vote in the person that they think is best to lead."
She said it's still humbling to be given the opportunity.
"I'm very excited at the same time. We just have a great Board of Directors and the organization behind it and everything else is just super good. We will work and do our role in governance and lead the organization for continued success throughout the years."
Wood was first elected to the UFA Board in 2022 and currently serves as the Advisory Board Chair for the UFA Agricultural Community Foundation.
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Wood has been elected to UFA's Board Chair position for a one-year term.
"As a Board Director, you're voted in for a four-year term. So, every four years, the Directors themselves have to be voted in, and then the Chair itself has to be voted every year as well," she explained.
She noted the role of a governance board is to hold the organization accountable.
"We're accountable to our membership because we are a cooperative. There's, I think, around 127,000 members, so it is a large cooperative and not just in Alberta. We are in BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan."
UFA now has nine petroleum locations in Saskatchewan. Wood said it's been going great.
"The feedback and the welcoming from all the communities we've been in has been absolutely fantastic."
Fred Thun, President and CEO, UFA, said, "Jennifer's unique blend of business acumen and farming experience positions her perfectly to lead us through the current economic climate. With her visionary leadership, I am confident that UFA will continue to thrive and uphold our commitment to serving our members and communities."
A professional agrologist and accomplished C-suite executive, Wood has founded and operated many successful businesses over the course of her career. She is a second-generation Lac Ste. Anne County grassroots producer who is also a proud long-time UFA member and customer. She is passionate about agriculture and supporting the sector, with the belief that it's not just a privilege, but a responsibility to ensure rural communities thrive well into the future. She is committed to sharing her expertise by providing valuable insight, governance and leadership to UFA, guiding the co-operative forward and ultimately supporting UFA's members and customers.
Wood added, "As both a businesswoman and a farmer, my commitment is to lead with resilience and innovation, ensuring we continue to support our members and strengthen agricultural communities. By leveraging our rich heritage and embracing strategic investments, we will navigate any challenges and emerge stronger, united in our mission to serve the growers and producers who feed the world."
-with notes from UFA.com