Ontario Produce Marketing Association announces four new board members

The Ontario Produce Marketing Association has appointed four new board members at its recent Annual General Meeting.

The newly elected directors will serve three-year terms from 2022 to 2025, according to a news release.

The directors joining the OPMA’s Board are Michael Miranda from Farm Boy, Ariel Nevado from Metro Inc., Dustin Wellman from Wonderful Sales and Agnes Boutros from Mastronardi Produce Ltd. 
Michael Miranda is the produce category manager at Farm Boy according to the release. Miranda has extensive committee experience with the OPMA. His most notable contribution has been his leadership in pioneering the OPMA's Young Professionals Committee as its Chair. He was also awarded the OPMA’s Fresh Award in 2021 for being an up-and-coming leader in the produce industry.

Ariel Nevado is a senior buyer of produce at Metro Inc. Nevado has over 40 years of experience in the produce industry. His experience with all aspects of the produce business provides him with unique perspective that will allow him to positively contribute to the OPMA, the release said.

Dustin Wellman is a regional sales manager at Wonderful Sales, with over 20 years of experience in the produce industry spanning various aspects. He currently sits on the Wonderful Sales Canadian Leadership Team and is actively involved in product design for the Canadian market, the release said.

Agnes Boutros is an account manager at Mastronardi Produce Ltd, with over eight years of experience in the produce industry. She will be an asset to the OPMA Board in the areas of marketing, industry influence, strategy development, and management, according to the release. 

The four directors retiring from the Board are: Michael Borcsok from Greenhouse Juice; Rebecca Compton from Asparagus Farmers of Ontario; Shreenivas Shellikeri from NatureFresh Farms; and Houman Mandani from Metro Ontario Inc. 

At the recent meeting, Todd Patterson, the OPMA chair, congratulated the new board members and thanked the retiring directors for their years of service to the association and to the industry. 

“Over the next year, the OPMA will be developing our 2023 – 2025 strategic plan,” Patterson said in the release. “Government relations will be high on the Board’s list of priorities.”