Our People

For nearly 40 years, the Canadian chicken industry has grown to unprecedented heights, with a multi-faceted approach to its development.

Executive Committee

The 15-member Board of Directors, made up of farmers and other stakeholders from the chicken industry, provides leadership on Chicken Farmers of Canada’s strategic plan and mission and has chosen the following representatives:

Tim Klompmaker
Chair
Hailing from Norwood, Ontario, Tim started farming in 1984, along with his wife Annette and their three sons. He is a third-generation chicken farmer with the fourth generation already in place and running chicken farms of their own. Tim served as a District Committee Representative for Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) before being elected to the Ontario Board in 2010. He was CFC’s Ontario Alternate from 2012-2013, acted as liaison with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), and served as 2nd Vice-Chair of CFO. Tim was elected to the Chicken Farmers of Canada Board in 2017.
Nick de Graaf
1st Vice-Chair
Nick is a third-generation poultry farmer in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, operating the farm founded by his Dutch grandfather in the early 1960’s. Today, the farm produces both chickens and turkeys. Nick is also part of Innovative Poultry Group (IPG) and owns Maritime Chicks, a modern hatchery employing the HatchCare system. In addition to poultry, Nick also grows wheat, corn, and soybeans, allowing him to process poultry feeds for his own flocks. Nick is in his 10th year as a Director with Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia. He was previously Chair of the CFC Production Committee and collaborated with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). Nick and his wife, Trudy, have three children and three grandchildren.
Ray Nickel
2nd Vice-Chair
Ray is another third-generation farmer and is a graduate from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Ag Science. His farms in the Fraser Valley, BC are involved in the production of chicken, commercial table eggs, and turkeys. Ray previously served as the president of the B.C. Poultry Association, and was also the turkey growers’ association director and president. He has been passionately involved in BC agribusiness for many years and was an instrumental as a key point person and spokesperson for the poultry sector during the BC floods.
Luce Bélanger
Executive Member
Luce is a chicken farmer from the Jacques-Cartier area, near Quebec City, Quebec. She holds a degree in animal science from McGill University (1994) and an MBA in agribusiness (2004) from Laval University. Luce took over her family farm in 1999 and, in addition to the chicken trade, her kids are learning agriculture business firsthand through farm gate vegetable sales. Luce has been a Director on the Board of Les Éleveurs de volailles du Quebec since 2017 and has been Quebec’s Alternate Director at Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) since 2019. In 2021, Luce became CFC’s representative at Animal Health Canada. She is also a member of CFC’s Production Committee and a dedicated supporter of CFC’s Animal Care Program and On-Farm Food Safety Program. Luce enjoys serving on various agriculture organizations because she believes in the importance of providing Canadians with food that is grown to the highest standards.

The Board of Directors

The Board

Chair: Tim Klompmaker (Ontario)
  • Ray Nickel (British Columbia)
  • Rob Van Diemen (Alberta)
  • Tiffany Martinka (Saskatchewan)
  • Stuart Nikkel (Manitoba)
  • Rick Kaptein (Ontario)
  • Luce Bélanger (Quebec)
  • Marco Volpé (New Brunswick)
  • Nick de Graaf (Nova Scotia)
  • Barry Uyterlinde (Prince Edward Island)
  • Theresa Heffernan (Newfoundland & Labrador)
  • Yvan Brodeur (Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council (CPEP): Chicken Primary Processing (CPP))
  • Kerry Towle (CPEP: CPP)
  • Don Kilimnik (CPEP: Poultry Further Processing)
  • Peter Vale (Restaurants Canada)

Committees

Executive

  • Chair – Tim Klompmaker
  • 1st Vice Chair – Nick de Graaf
  • 2nd Vice Chair – Ray Nickel
  • Member-at-Large – Luce Bélanger

Audit

  • Chair – Marco Volpé
  • Barry Uyterlinde
  • Theresa Heffernan

Governance

  • Chair – Don Kilimnik
  • Stuart Nikkel
  • Kerry Towle

Allocation Policies & Procedures

  • Chair – Rob van Diemen
  • Rick Kaptein
  • Ray Nickel
  • Stuart Nikkel
  • Yvan Brodeur (CPEP - Primary Chicken Sector)

Production

  • Chair – Nick de Graaf
  • Luce Bélanger
  • Rob Van Diemen
  • Rick Kaptein
  • Lucy McKee (CPEP: CPP - alternate)

Representatives to Other Organizations

  • Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA): Scott Buchan
  • Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC): Ray Nickel
  • National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC): Nick de Graaf
  • National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council (NFAHWC): Luce Bélanger

Staff

Executive

  • Michael Laliberté
    Executive Director
  • Nicole Faubert
    Executive Assistant

Trade and Policy

  • Yves Ruel
    Associate Executive Director
  • Brahim Zahri
    Trade & Policy Analyst

Finance

  • Lori Piché
    Director of Finance
  • Jae Yung Chung
    Senior Financial Analyst
  • Maria Elena Baisas
    Financial Compliance Analyst
  • ​Hicran Karakus
    Financial Officer
  • Shane Azriel Alday
    Bookkeeper

Human Resources and Administration

  • Lisa Riopelle
    Director of Human Resources & Administration
  • Titilayo Onayemi
    Administrative Communications and Human Resources Officer
  • Ayodeji Oni
    Corporate Services Officer

Brand Marketing

  • JJ Hochrein
    Director of Brand Marketing
  • Karen Ronayne
    Brand Creative Officer
  • Brianne Moore
    Content Marketing Officer

Public Affairs and Communications

  • Lauren Kennedy
    Director of Public Affairs & Communications
  • Berivan Abuzeyit
    Public Affairs Officer
  • Erin Callary
    Strategic Programs and Partnerships Officer
  • Jean-François Bérubé
    Senior Communications Officer

Food Safety and Animal Health

  • Steve Leech
    Director of Food Safety & Animal Health
  • Jessica Heyerhoff
    Communication & Policy Officer
  • Chris Prudhomme
    Food Safety Officer & Internal Auditor (Maternity Leave)

Animal Care and Sustainability

  • Jean Lavallée
    Director of Animal Care and Research
  • Jennifer Gardner
    Animal Care & Research Officer

Market Information and Systems

  • Jan Rus
    Director of Market Information & Systems
  • Denis Nadeau
    Business Systems Analyst
  • Jeff deValk
    Market Analyst