Board of Directors |

Board of Directors

Ted Clysdale, FMA
Investment House of Canada
Peterborough, ON
Sharon Eistetter, P. Ag.
Farm Credit Canada
Red Deer, AB
Amanda Hammel, B. Comm. (Hons.)
RBC Royal Bank
Hanover, ON
Leo Kosokowsky , B.Comm., BA
AgMpower
Saskatoon, SK
Roger Mills
MB Diary Farm Management Group
Steinbach, MB
Janet Nielsen
JRN Consulting Services
Red Deer, AB
Mary Nelson
Lucknow, ON
Myles Pouteau, B. Comm. (Hons.), CA, TEP
Frostiak & Leslie CA Inc.
Winnipeg, MB
TREASURER
Don Roberts
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc.
Calgary, AB
CHAIR

George Sinker, LLB
Strathroy, ON

Ted Clysdale, FMA

Ted has been an Independent Financial Planner since January 2002 with an FMA (Financial Management Advisor) designation, which is an advanced financial planning designation through the Canadian Securities Institute. He has also achieved the CAFA (Certified Agriculture Financial Advisor) designation in 2005.Ted grew up on a dairy farm outside of Peterborough, which he farmed from 1976 to 1982. After that he worked for a farm equipment company as a salesman servicing Central Ontario from 1982 to 1984. Then as an industrial salesman in 1984 to 1985.

Ted started in the life insurance business in 1985. Licensed to sell life & disability insurance, segregated funds, group benefits (group insurance, pensions & group RRSP’s). Completed L.U.A.T.C (Life Underwriters Association Training course) level one in 1986 and level two in 1987.

Ted then joined a local trust company in 1988 working in Wealth Management and Personal Trust. His expertise while working in this area included selling estate planning, estate settlement services & investment management (discretionary management) to clients.

In 1996 Ted began working for an accounting firm that specialized in farm accounting. His role was to offer estate & financial planning to the firm’s accounting clients. In this role he worked with many independent mutual fund companies. He was licensed again for life & disability insurance.

Ted began working for the Royal bank in 1997 as an Investment & Retirement Planner in Peterborough and surrounding areas, marketing financial planning and other banking services.
He has been President of the Dobbin Road Association since 1989. Ted is also the Chairperson of the local chapter of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors since 2004. Ted is President for The Lake Wilbermere Cottage Association. He has coached softball, youth soccer teams and has volunteered with minor hockey in the Peterborough area. Ted is also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

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Sharon Eistetter, P. Ag.

Sharon Eistetter has 29 years experience in the agricultural finance sector with Farm Credit Canada. Sharon is District Manager with FCC, managing operations in the Central Alberta area, based out of Red Deer. Sharon grew up on the family farm near Biggar, Sask, did her degree in Agriculture at the U of S. Sharon has played an active role in various agricultural committees and boards, most recently a Director of the Agri-Trade Board (2000-2003), President of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists (2000-2001), and has been chair and member of the CAFA board of Directors of the Red Deer branch.

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Amanda Hammel, B. Comm. (Hons.)

Amanda grew up on a cash crop & beef feedlot farm just outside of Brampton, which along with involvement in 4-H and Junior Farmers built the foundation for a career in Ontario agriculture. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree specializing in Agricultural Business with Honours at the University of Guelph. Currently Amanda is a Senior Agriculture Account Manager with RBC Royal bank where her focus is on developing solutions to help clients achieve their business, financial and operational objectives.Amanda has completed the Internship for Young Leaders program. She has played an active role in various agricultural committees and boards.

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Leo Kosokowsky , B.Comm., BA

Leo Kosokowsky currently manages AgMpower which he created in 2006. AgMpower provides farmers an economical way to create, then evaluate farm plans and improve their farm management skills.Advising farmers since 1988 and believing in the power of networking and continuous learning led to the following entities being create and initially led:

In 1994 a local farmers marketing club, called the Northern Fringe, was started to improve local agronomic practices and members’ marketing skills. It remains 30 members strong today.

The Executive Farm Club consist of 10 top notch non-local farmers that present their plans to the member panel for discussion, confidence and new ideas.

The Prince Albert, SK. Local CAFA chapter was started in 2005 and continues on under new leadership.

Specializing in farm management for the past 7 years led to the AgMpower.ca website.

Farmers are encouraged to input plans online into a standard template to receive immediate answers regarding target prices, efficiencies and comparisons to others by size, crop district and soil zones.

AgMpower.ca facilitates communications between farmers and consultants by providing the profitability, cash surplus and efficiency of the farm in real time. Advisors (with rights) can access and export current farm information to their own programs making advisors more efficient.

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Roger Mills

Roger retired from active fairy farming 5 years ago, since he has offered business consulting to dairy producers. He is contracted as the dairy business consultant to the Manitoba Dairy Farm Management Group of which he was a founding member upon its inception in 1997. The MDFMG uses an analysis program that was crated for producers in Eastern Ontario and Quebec, for which he has received training at the company’s offices in Montreal.He still has a keen interest in Holstein genetics and retains ownership of some quality cattle. The custom foraging service which has been offered for the last few years is now being withdrawn as the consultancy work becomes more time consuming.

After 35 years of owning two dairy farms [England and Canada] specializing in economic milk production, first and foremost, he feels he has acquired the necessary knowledge that enables him to advise producers who wish to improve their business management skills.

Other activities include:

Member of the local District milk committee
Past chairman of the MDFMG
Served as chairman and member of the selection panel for the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba New Entrants Program
Instructor for the Dairy Backgrounder and Herd Management modules for the Herdsperson Training course in Manitoba
Member of the Peer Advisory Group for the Manitoba Farm Mediation Board

Roger was married to Joan in 1971 in Staffordshire, England where he was a dairy producer for 27 years having completed his Diploma at Agricultural College. They emigrated to Canada in 1994 with their two daughters, who have since both married. Rachel and Jamie live in Victoria, B.C. and Lorraine and Kas with their new baby, Blake, live in Grunthal, MB.
Roger and Joan attend Grunthal Bergthaler Mennonite Church.

Away from farming, Roger enjoys time spent with the family and all forms of sport, of which Soccer is his passion.

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Janet Nielsen

Janet has 25+ years experience in accounting as she worked for a local chartered accounting firm that merged with BDO Dunwoody LLP in January 2008. As farm accounts manager for her local firm, Janet specialized in farm taxation, farm succession and farm accounting including managing government support programs for her farm clients. Her client base included a wide variety of farm commodities from dairy and beef to chickens, market greenhouses and grains.Janet is and has been a certified advisor for the farming accounting software, AGExpert for over 15 years and commencing in the fall of 2008, she will be a certified advisor and trainer for AGExpert as well as the crop manager program – Field Manager.

Coming fro ma farm background, raised on a farm in the Red Deer area, still farming with her husband on a small grain and hay farm just outside of Red Deer, Janet is able to understand and relate to the challenges facing many farm producers.

Janet has been a member of the Red Deer Chapter of CAFA since 2002/03 and chair person since the fall of 2006.

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Mary Nelson

She was employed (for 18 years) as a Relationship Manager with Farm Credit Canada out of the Walkerton, Ontario office. Mary was on FCC’s National Diversity Adversity Committee. She was also involved in the National Community Investment (Agri Sprit) Committee which was involved in provincial “Drive Away Hunger” and “Rural Community” projects. Mary was also on the FCC Co-op Student Hiring Committee (Ontario) for four years.Previous to her employment with FCC, she was on the Farm Debt Review Board (Ontario) from 1987-1990 as a field person, panel member and guardian. She worked from 1967-1987 with Bank of Montreal, Lucknow.

Mary believes that CAFA meetings help professionals to grow and understand their client’s farm business. Agriculture like everything else is changing and becoming more complex. Increasing your skills and knowledge, networking with other members in similar fields benefits everyone. Mary is proud to be a part of the CAFA Walkerton Chapter.

Mary is married to Bill, who has a farm operation just south of the village of Lucknow. They have two children and five grandchildren. Mary enjoys quilting, reading, and spoiling her grandchildren.

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Myles Pouteau, B. Comm. (Hons.), CA, TEP

Myles is a Tax Manager specializing in tax planning for owner-managed corporations and their shareholders as well as tax planning and compliance in the area of Estates and Trusts and investment holding corporations. Myles has assumed compliance responsibilities for personal, corporate and trust tax filing requirements for our firm.Education and Community involvement

Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), University of Manitoba, 1986
Member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants since 1989
In-Depth Tax Course CICA (1996-1997)
Registered Trust Estate Practitioner (TEP), 2002
Member of Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA), 2002
Currently VP finance Winnipeg Branch of CAFA
Member of the Canadian Tax Foundation
Member of the Winnipeg Estate Planning Council
Member of the society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Winnipeg
Currently Treasurer of the Winnipeg branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

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Don Roberts

Mr. Roberts is currently a Senior Vice President and Associate Partner in our Corporate Advisory and restructuring practice. He has a strong background in financial institution management and a broad range of business recovery experience including agriculture, agri business, mining, manufacturing and processing. He specializes in:

Advising on financial restructuring and reorganizations using corporate provisions or provisions of the BIA, CCAA, or informally.
Monitoring assignments and business reviews including providing advice to secured creditors regarding recovery alternatives and positions.
Managing and operating businesses in financial difficulty on behalf of secured creditors with formal or informal assignments.
Advising companies in financial difficulty with regard to business plans and advice with respect to management of secured and unsecured debt.
Carrying our court and private receiverships and agency appointments on behalf of secured creditors.
Advising government agencies with regard to proposed government programs.
Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers
Certified in Management (CIM) – Canadian Institute of Management
Professional Manager (P. Mgr)
Member of the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP)
Member of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA)
Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker in Alberta

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George Sinker, LLB

George grew up on a cash crop farm near London, Ontario. He obtained his LL.B. from University of Western Ontario, 1973 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1975.George practices in association with his wife, Sydney P. Pearson, in Strathroy, Ontario, a general practice with emphasis on agri-business including real estate, business law, wills and estates and estate administration.

George recently authored an article for Collins Barrow Spring 2008 publication “Generations” on the 2007 International Farm Succession Conference and was interview for an article published in Country Guide magazine August/September 2008 “When Parents Become Bankers”.

George was co-chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Program “The Business of Farming” that took place on April 28, 2009.

He has spoken at Ontario ministry of Agriculture and food Farm Tax and Business seminars, assisted TitlePlus in the development of the TitlePlus Farm Title Insurance Policy in Ontario and sat on the Teranet Document User Group for Middlesex County.

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