Submitted
For the News:
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is seeking nominations for the 2009 Rosemary Davis Award, which honours Canadian women for their leadership and commitment to agriculture.
Last spring, Marie Logan, a farmer, 4-H and community leader from Lomond, Alberta, was one of five Canadian women who received the award.
“It was an opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Boston and attend the Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference. It is important for us to recognize, to learn from, and to celebrate the successes and the triumphs over challenges that women from around the world have accomplished,” says Logan.
Now, FCC is looking for five more women who deserve recognition for their achievements. She could be an agriculture producer, agribusiness operator, teacher, veterinarian, researcher, community builder, visionary, volunteer or have some other valuable connection to agriculture. The nomination period for the Rosemary Davis Award opened today.
“Over the past two years, we’ve honoured 10 wonderful women who have significantly contributed to agriculture in this country – women like Marie,” says Kellie Garrett, Senior Vice-President, Strategy, Knowledge and Reputation, at FCC. “We’re excited to offer this award again. Part of the challenge is having women see themselves as deserving this kind of recognition. That’s why people can nominate someone and self-nomination is also encouraged.”
Candidates are judged on how they demonstrate leadership, give back to their community and Canadian agriculture, display their passion for agriculture, as well as their vision for the future of the industry.
The Rosemary Davis award was created and named after a successful Canadian agribusiness owner and operator and the first female chair of the FCC Board of Directors.
“Agriculture is an important business in this country and women have always contributed to the success of the industry,” says Garrett. “At the same time, many women have worked quietly behind the scenes. More and more, there are innovative women who are showing other women that agriculture is a viable career option. That’s very important for the future of the industry.”
The winners receive a free trip to Boston to the 2009 Simmons School of Management leadership conference in May – http://www.simmons.edu/leadership/.
In additional to Marie, other winners from last year were:
•Lilliane Sabiston, a farmer, women’s advocate and volunteer from Kelliher, Saskatchewan;
•Debbie Coke, a farmer, feed specialist inspector and agriculture advocate from Dresden, Ontario;
•Claire Désaulniers, a dairy farmer, business manager and farm women’s advocate from St-Tite, Quebec; and
•Elspeth McLean-Wile, a dairy farmer and entrepreneur from Wileville, Nova Scotia.
Rosemary Davis winners must be 21 years of age and actively involved in agriculture. Online applications have to be submitted before midnight Jan. 26, 2009 to the Farm Credit Canada website at www.FCCRosemaryDavisAward.ca. Previous nominees who did not win last year can reapply. Call 1-888-332-3301 for more information.
As Canada’s largest provider of business and financial services to farms and agribusiness, FCC is advancing the business of agriculture. Operating out of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, FCC employees are passionate about the business of agriculture. A healthy portfolio of more than $15 billion and 15 consecutive years of portfolio growth are a reflection of our customers’ success.