Eastern Ontario sheep producers have been without an Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency (OSMA) director since November for one very good reason: No one wants the job.
Last November, long-time director Sally Jorgensen stepped down as director of District 10 after retiring from the sheep industry, and no one has stepped in to take her place. District 10 encompasses the counties of Russell, Prescott, Glengarry, Stormont, Dundas and Grenville, along with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton except the Township of West Carleton and the City of Kanata.
The marketing agency has the power to appoint someone, but will first allow the district committee until November, 2019 to find a new director. However, the committee itself is short on volunteers, with only two people currently on the board.
Brigitte Meunier-Grimes, the committee’s secretary-treasurer, said it’s the same issue facing organizations everywhere: The younger generation is not stepping up to fill the roles left by a retiring older generation.
“Basically, no one has expressed interest (in being the director),” she said.
The time commitment to be a director is about five to 10 hours a month, plus attending a board meeting in Guelph every six weeks. However, a director could attend by conference call if necessary.
Every director is expected to sit on two OSMA committees, whose meetings are usually by conference call. Directors earn a per diem and their expenses are paid.
