Board of Directors and Staff

Martin is from Hartland Farming Co. Ltd. in Bashaw, Alberta and manages a 750-sow farrow-to-finish operation. He and his wife Martha are the proud parents of three boys and three girls. Martin has enjoyed working with hogs since the late-1990s. Becoming an Alberta Pork director was a choice he made to try and learn all he can about the challenges this industry faces, and to help this industry become stronger and better.

Hendrik was born and raised in South Africa. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science and is involved in mixed farming including pigs, dairy, sheep and crops. Hendrik immigrated to North Carolina in 2005, where he spent five years before coming to Canada in 2010. Hendrik has been married for over two years and has a couple of children. As a director for Alberta Pork, Hendrik knows that we are facing some challenging times in the pig industry and hopes to contribute in any way to make this sector more secure.

Ian was born and raised in Barrhead, Alberta. He studied computer science at the University of Alberta and developed a producer database for a processing plant before accepting a position at the Western Hog Exchange (WHE).

Over the next decade, Ian worked to modernize the booking and settlement systems for the WHE, launching a risk management system and helping integrate their booking systems with the Alberta Quality Assurance program and the Alberta Swine Movement application.

Today, as the Manager of Hog Procurement Western Canada for Olymel, Ian works closely with producers.

Stan is a partner-owner of AVE Farms Ltd., which has been producing hogs for more than four decades. Stan sees a real need for changes to the current pork pricing situation and marketing model to help improve profitability for independent producers.

Ruben Waldner hails from Parkland Colony near Nanton, Alberta. Ruben is married and has three daughters. He is the Assistant Hog Manager at Parkland Colony, where they operate a 500-sow farrow-to-finish operation. Ruben knows the industry is facing challenging times and wants to do his part to represent the industry and help strengthen the future for all involved.

Currently the Executive Director of Alberta Pork, Darcy has a technical diploma in Biological Sciences and holds a BSc and MSc from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Alberta. Darcy has spent his career in the agricultural industry. Previously Darcy has worked for the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, the Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, and Esso Chemical.

Marilyn started with Alberta Pork in February, 1977. She makes sure the office runs smoothly and efficiently. She administers payables and receivables, maintains financial records, prepares financial statements for the Executive Director, and she manages all personnel files and office requirements.

Alberta Pork welcomed Charlotte in 2007, and she has worked with producers in this role for the last 5 years. In addition to administering the Alberta hog Feeders Association (AHFA) since 2010, she works directly with producers on a wide range of programs. In the course of her work, she has liaised with producers, government and industry partners. She supports our producers through helping grant applications and managing labour initiatives.

Christina originally hails from northern Alberta, specifically around the Municipal District of Smoky River. She grew up in a culture surrounded by agriculture. She moved to Edmonton to pursue a degree at the University of Alberta. She started working at Alberta Pork as a summer student in 2007, and she has been with us ever since. Currently she is the Traceability Coordinator with Alberta Pork, and she also is the resident handler and translator for the entire office IT infrastructure.

Javier is an Animal Scientist passionate about swine production. He was born in Colombia, surrounded by a culture of cattle and swine production. He graduated university in 2001, and has been involved with the swine industry for more than 13 years. Since 2008, he has worked with different companies within the industry, and he now has the opportunity to work as the Quality Assurance and Production Manager. He leads the production team made up of himself and Cristina Neva.This is our ground team who serve producers and consumers with the best biosecurity, animal welfare and quality assurance practices.

Cristina has a Bachelor in Animal Science degree from the National University of Colombia, and graduate studies from the University of Manitoba. She has twelve years of experience as an Animal Scientist at different companies in Colombia and Canada. She has enjoyed working with the Agriculture Industry in many different positions and provinces. Having worked from production site to research site, she brings a broad set of skills and pork industry experience to Alberta Pork.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing from MacEwan University. He joined Alberta Pork in June 2018 and previously spent more than five years working in Alberta’s research and innovation industry. As the Communication Programs Coordinator, Andrew is involved with producer communications and public events that Alberta Pork is a part of. He also assists with social media, web content management, writing and editing.