OFA incumbents win in zone elections; McCabe eyes another round in the president's seat

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

by SUSAN MANN

Incumbent Lambton/Middlesex director Don McCabe won the Ontario Federation of Agriculture directors’ election for his zone, and Pat Jilesen has snagged the director’s spot for Bruce/Grey.

Jilesen, who was a director at large on the board, beat incumbent Paul Wettlaufer in Zone 2 (Bruce/Grey). McCabe beat Crispin Colvin in Zone 6 (Lambton/Middlesex).

McCabe, who’s the federation president, said he plans to run again for president at the federation’s annual meeting in November. He said he’s pleased to have won the director election in his zone and thanked the voter members for their support and Colvin for running.

Neil Currie, federation general manager, said in Zone 6 there were 662 votes cast and there are 3,462 eligible voters. The voter turnout was slightly more than 19 per cent. McCabe garnered 412 votes and Colvin got 250.

In Zone 2, there were 444 votes cast from a possible 2,636 eligible voters, he said. The voter turnout was about 17 per cent. Jilesen got 323 votes and Wettlaufer got 121 votes. One ballot was spoiled.

Currie said the voter turnout this year was much higher than it has been in past, “so that’s a good thing.”

He added that “it’s difficult to get people aware of the elections. There’s a long voting period and with the mail-in ballots people sometimes lose them or forget about it.”

As for the president’s position, Currie said as far as he knows McCabe is the only director so far who has declared he’s running for the position.

“We usually let board members make that declaration (on whether they’re running for president) at our October board meeting,” Currie noted. The meeting is on Oct. 12 and 13.

Any member of the board can run for the president’s position, Currie explained.

Directors were acclaimed in the other three zones with elections this year. They are: incumbent Larry Davis in Zone 3 (Brant/Haldimand/Norfolk), incumbent Drew Spoelstra in Zone 5 (Hamilton/Wentworth/Niagara North/Niagara South) and Steven Brackenridge in Zone 10 (Durham/Peterborough/Kawartha Lakes/Haliburton). Brackenridge will replace director Bruce Webster, who decided not to run again.

All directors, who were elected to three-year terms, take their positions after the federation’s annual meeting in November.

One more director at large will be elected at the annual meeting in November, Currie said.

The Zones 2 and 6 elections were held by mail-in ballot. Voting began Aug. 15 and concluded on Sept. 9. BF