Canola Council President Readies for Move to Grain Commission

Outgoing Canola Council president Patti Miller at CropSphere in Saskatoon last week.

The Canola Council of Canada has started its search for a new president, following the announcement of Patti Miller’s upcoming departure.

Canola Council president since 2012, Miller has been appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, starting February 13.

She sat down with us at CropSphere in Saskatoon last week to reflect on her time with the CCC and some of what she’s expecting as she transitions to the CGC. (She also spoke as part of the Canola Day program at Ag Days in Brandon on Tuesday.)

The launch of the Canola Council’s “Keep It Coming 2025” strategic plan and progress on trade files, including the blackleg issue with China, are some of her highlights from the past five years:

“But I think the biggest source of pride, the thing I enjoyed most was working with the people. The Canola Council is a phenomenal team,” Miller says.

And she’s already hearing from industry on issues that will cross her desk at the CGC, including the commission’s growing user fee surplus.

“I know (the user fees issue) is top of mind for a lot of organizations, but there are some other challenging issues that need to be addressed as well.”

The federal government has yet to announce the new appointees for the assistant chief commissioner and commissioner posts. Under the Canada Grain Act, certain actions require signatures from two commissioners. Miller says she’s not sure when the other appointments will be made, and that she has not been asked to provide input into the selection process.

The Canola Council has enlisted Scott Wolfe Management to conduct the search for its new president, with the process being overseen by the CCC board of director’s executive committee.

Curtis Rempel, vice-president of crop production and innovation, will serve as the lead point of contact for the CCC in the interim.

The transition coincides with the Canola Council’s 50th anniversary celebration and annual convention coming up March 7-9 in Winnipeg.

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