Staff & Contractors
Nico Human
Executive Director and CEO
Nico Human has a Ph.D., a post graduate marketing management qualification and national accreditation status in Public Relations. His career started in agricultural research and progressed in South Africa to research manager, business owner/consultant, research marketing manager and ultimately corporate head of marketing and public relations of the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa.
Nico arrived in Canada in 1999 with his wife and two children, and became citizens on July 1st 2003. Early in his Canadian career he worked as BC’s first agricultural awareness coordinator. This innovative program won two national awards. He has served clients in Canadian agri-food and processing with business development, marketing and public relations advice, and by implementing solution-finding programs.
Abbotsford
Phone:
(604) 504-4409
Email:
nico@bcfpa.ca 
Kathleen Gibson
MIES Project Manager, MTAP Administrato
Kathleen Gibson manages the BCFPA’s Meat Industry Enhancement Strategy (MIES). The MIES mission is to provide reasonable access to provincially licensed slaughter facilities for all BC regions and a basis for future expansion. Through the MIES, Kathleen coordinates a seven-person team which assists meat slaughter facility operators with various aspects of becoming licensed under BC's Meat Inspection Regulation.
Kathleen is a Principal of GBH Consulting Group Ltd. and a food systems specialist and policy analyst based in Victoria. She holds an M.A. and diplomas in communications and conflict resolution. She has worked for BC farmers and now develops and works on sustainable agriculture and food security projects locally, provincially and nationally. She also writes a monthly op-ed column for Country Life in BC, BC’s farm newspaper.
Victoria
Phone:
(250) 598-4280
Email:
gbhgroup@shaw.ca 
Donna Brendon
Manager, Member Relations
Donna Brendon manages Members Services for BCFPA. Donna has worked for the Association since April 2007. She appreciates the increased number of events and services we are offering members. Donna enjoys meeting and talking to members. Please consider her a business resource and give her a call.
Donna comes to BCFPA with a strong background in retail management (Overwaitea Food Group) and marketing and stakeholder relations (BC Dairy Foundation). One theme that goes through all her work is a commitment to customer service.
Vancouver
Phone:
(604) 871-0190
Email:
donna.brendon@bcfpa.ca 
Adam Ford
Office manager, Executive Assistant
Adam Ford comes to BCFPA with a variety of experience: from customer service to database management to instructing various classes at a local career college to office administration. He also brings with him a strong work-ethic and commitment to quality.
Adam lives in Abbotsford with his daughter Delaney.
Abbotsford
Phone:
(604) 504-4409
Email:
adam@bcfpa.ca 
Maria Castro
MIES Help Desk
Maria Castro first developed an interest in sustainable agriculture as a biology student in Germany in the early 1980s. For more than 25 years she has been involved with issues of agricultural biodiversity, sustainable livestock husbandry, agroforestry, biological pest control, food security and agricultural and environmental policy in Germany, Spain, Nicaragua, Scotland and Canada. Also a qualified therapist and a trained mediator, she now works as a consultant on the interface of agriculture and environment with a number of agro-environmental NGOs, government and farmers. Her own farm on Vancouver Island is a conservation breeding facility for endangered breeds of livestock and poultry. She became involved with the Meat Industry Enhancement Strategy because she understands that a sustainable livestock industry needs local meat processing facilities.
Vancouver Island (based in Nanaimo)
Phone:
(250) 722-3688
Email:
mariacastro@shaw.ca 
Abra Brynne
MIES Help Desk
Abra Brynne has worked as a community developer and information broker since she moved to the West Kootenays in 1990. Her primary focus and passion is agriculture and food, dating back to her childhood on a small fruit and subsistence farm in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Abra has worked since the mid 1990s on providing education and resources to both ends of the food production chain - farmers and consumers. She has extensive experience in environmental and social standards development and conformity assessment, on a regional, provincial, national and international level. Abra is based in Nelson in the West Kootenays and sits on many committees and boards at various geographical levels, all connected to food and agriculture.
Shuswap/Okanagan/Boundary/Kootenays
Phone:
(250) 352-5342
Email:
abra.brynne@bcfpa.ca 
Shirley Hamblin
MIES Help Desk
Shirley Hamblin is a Professional Agrologist working out of Houston, BC. Shirley obtained a Degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. She grew up on a ranch in the Nicola Valley and her keen interest in cattle production and agriculture in general continues to direct her career.
Shirley has worked for the Ministry of Forests as a Range Agrologist, the Ministry of Agriculture as a District Agrologist, operated a 300 cow/calf ranch (purebred & commercial Angus cattle) and co-managed a full service abattoir with her husband Lance. Currently she is working as a consulting Agrologist to support her scaled down farming habit.
Shirley has been with BCFPA on the Help Desk team since January 2007. She enjoys working with people interested in meat processing solutions throughout the Central Interior and Northern areas of BC.
Northern BC (based in Prince George)
Phone:
(250) 845-7849
Email:
shirley@hamblin.ca 
Lance Hamblin
MIES Help Desk
Lance Hamblin has been involved in business management since he started his first business before completing high school. Lance has a Diploma in Business Administration and many years of experience in various industries such as timber, trucking, manufacturing and ranching.
Most of Lance’s experience has been in a family owned company that involved many businesses including ten years of operating a small abattoir and meat processing facility in Houston, BC. During that time he worked in all areas of meat processing from slaughter to sausage making. Lance enjoyed his experience in this business, particularly in developing new manufactured meat products. He also has designed and implemented management information systems for his own and other companies. Lance has a keen interest in helping abattoir operators successfully make the transition from pre-inspection to working in a regulated environment and thus retaining local meat processing options for livestock producers.
Northern BC (based in Prince George)
Phone:
(250) 845-7849
Email:
lance@hamblin.ca 
Murray Coates
MIES Help Desk
Murray Coates is a consulting agrologist who practices out of his home office on Salt Spring Island, BC. Up until 2003, his practice was located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Murray was educated at the University of Manitoba and the University of Guelph, obtaining a degree in Agribusiness Management. He is a registered agrologist and also has held a CMC designation for over 12 years. He has done business plans and feasibility studies for abattoirs and food processing operations throughout Canada. He has also worked on agribusiness and manufacturing projects with overseas companies in Finland, Wales and the Netherlands. He has been with BCFPA since the inception of MIES. Some of his best work is inspired through travel on his Harley Davidson.
Okanagan - Mobiles (based on Salt Spring Island)
Phone:
250-537-8527
Email:
m.coates@shaw.ca Chantay Simpson
MTAP Coordinator
Chantay Simpson is the Meat Transition Assistance Program (MTAP) Coordinator. The MTAP vision is that livestock producers in all regions of British Columbia have reasonable access to licensed slaughter services, and slaughter facility operators are able to expand capacity to meet future needs.
Abbotsford
Phone:
(604) 504-4409
Email:
chantay@bcfpa.ca 
Art Hamade
Public Health Advisor
Art has been contracted to work as a Public Health Advisor to assist on issues such as water, sewage disposal and food safety.
He worked as a Public Health Inspector for 35 years and retired from his position as the Assistant Chief Public Health with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in 2007.
Email:
occtech@telus.net Alisa Elliott
MIES Executive Assistant
BC Food Processors Association
Alisa joins the MIES team as Executive Assistant, bringing to this role her organizational and multi-tasking skills gained through experience in various administrative roles. Her strengths over the years have been customer service and file management. As a meticulous administrator with a strong work ethic, Alisa is looking forward to the challenge this new role brings.
Alisa was born in Jamaica, studied and lived in the UK for 12 years, and then immigrated to Canada in 2006. Married with two sons, Alisa lives with her family in Mission, BC.
Phone:
(604) 504-4409
Email:
alisa@bcfpa.ca