Russel Hurst Appointed as Executive Director of the Ontario Agri Business Association

The Ontario Agri Business Association (OABA) is very pleased to announce that Russel Hurst will be joining the OABA staff team as its new Executive Director on November 9, 2020.

In assuming the role of Executive Director, Russel will be taking on chief of staff duties from Dave Buttenham, who will be retiring in December after 36+ years of service to the Association.

Russel comes to OABA from CropLife Canada where he served as their Vice President, Stewardship & Sustainability. Since joining CropLife Canada in 2006 and subsequently appointed Vice President in 2013, Russel’s responsibilities grew to include strategic direction and oversight of the industry’s suite of national stewardship and sustainability initiatives in collaboration with government and industry stakeholders ranging from product discovery, manufacturing, through safe use and ultimate disposal. Additionally, he held joint appointments as Executive Director of the Agrichemical Warehousing Standards Association (AWSA) with responsibility for the crop protection, seed and fertilizer industry’s suite of auditing programs and oversight of

CleanFARMS’s waste management and disposal programs.

Russel was raised on a beef and cash crop farm in southwestern Ontario where he still remains active in operations. He holds an MBA in agriculture business, as well as a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph and an MSc in Crop Science from the University of Illinois. Prior to joining CropLife Canada, he worked in several progressive roles in agronomy, grain sales and management with several farmer owned ag-retail focused cooperatives in both Canada and the United States, as well as participating on a number of international extension programs over the past decade.

Under Russel’s leadership, OABA looks forward to continuing the tradition of representing the crop input, grain and feed sectors of Ontario agri business, and to build upon the excellent working relationship OABA has established with government, producer organizations and industry partners.

Commencing November 9, 2020, Russel will be located in the OABA office in Guelph and can be reached by phone (519-822-3004) or by email (russel@oaba.on.ca).