Features Production Research
New director joins B.C. ag foundation

May 5, 2011 By Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C.

May 5, 2011, Victoria,
BC – The Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. (IAF) recently welcomed
Robert Dawson to its board of directors.

Dawson was appointed
during IAF’s April 20 annual general meeting as a representative for the tree
fruit and grape sectors.

“The knowledge,
experience and expertise of our directors are invaluable as we review
applications and funding requests from industry,” said IAF chair, Stuart
Wilson. “We welcome Robert to the IAF board and look forward to his future
contributions.”

Dawson brings a lot of
agricultural experience to this new role. He was born in Kelowna, where his
family began the development of a 100-acre orchard in 1948. After graduating
from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor of science in 1967 and
earning a bachelor of law degree in 1970, Dawson practiced law until the mid
1970s, before purchasing the family orchard. Since then, he has served the tree
fruit sector in numerous capacities, including as vice-president and chair of
the Okanagan Similkameen Co-operative Growers and as a director for B.C. Tree
Fruits Limited and Sun Rype Products Limited. Dawson was appointed chair of the
Okanagan Valley Tree Fruit Authority in 1990 and remained in that office until
2002, helping implement many of the policies that remain priorities of the
industry today. Dawson is currently serving a second term on the board of
directors for the Okanagan Plant Improvement Company and, in 2008, was honoured
with a lifetime membership in the B.C. Fruit Growers Association.