Canadian Cattle Young Leaders announce 2024 Finalists

September 9, 2024

Calgary, AB – The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program, a national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), is pleased to announce its 16 finalists for the 2024-2025 program year.

The annual CYL Selections Competition took place on August 20, 2024, at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Saskatoon, SK.

During the competition, impressive semi-finalists from across Canada who are involved in various roles within the beef supply chain, competed for a spot in the 2024 mentorship program year.

Through the Selections Competition, semi-finalists rotated through discussions with their peers at six roundtables, each facilitated and judged by representatives from the program’s sponsors and industry. Semi-finalists put their skills to the test during thought provoking discussions about timely beef industry topics such as environmental sustainability, succession planning, leadership, support for new entrants and young producers, and much more.

Each finalist will be awarded a $3,000 budget for beef industry travel and learning opportunities and will be paired with a hand-picked industry leader for a nine-month mentorship in their specific area of interest. This is an increase of $1000 each, thanks to Cargill’s generous funding increase to Platinum Partner. The Canadian CYL Program sincerely thanks Cargill for its funding commitment that has helped make this and other program improvements possible. Click here to read more.

“Congratulations to the CYL finalists for their remarkable commitment to our industry and their engaging contributions during the roundtable discussions,” said Nathan Phinney, CCA President. “The impressive pool of semi-finalists this year is a promising sign for the future of our industry.”

The 2024 finalists, from west to east, are:

British Columbia: William Gamache (Lumby)
Alberta: Ashley Perepelkin (Condor), Beatriz Montenegro (Picture Butte), Brianna Elliot (Sundre), Brittany Sigfusson (Strathmore), Emily Jamieson (Duchess), Erik Nottveit (Calgary), Janelle Graham (Olds), Jayse Wilson (Strathmore), Laura Buss (Millarville), Taylor Iwasiuk (High Prairie)
Saskatchewan: Arlis Hanson (Val Marie), Joshua Sanden (Craik), Levi Hurlburt (Moose Jaw)
Manitoba: Alice Rooke (Alexander)
Ontario: Chelsea Allan (Cumberland)

The Canadian Beef Industry Conference was also a special occasion for the 2023-2024 CYLs who graduated from the program and were awarded their certificates at the graduation celebration. This year’s graduates represent a significant milestone for the Canadian CYL Program, bringing the total number of alumni to over 200 since the program’s inception in 2010.

The graduation also saw the presentation of the second Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award in partnership with the Canadian CYL Program, Canadian Cattle Foundation, and the Schellenberg family. Click here to read more.

The opportunities offered to the next generation through the Canadian CYL Program would not be possible without the generous support of its Platinum Partners, McDonald’s Canada and Cargill, Foundation Partners MNP, New Holland, and Elanco, and Gold Partners Farm Credit Canada, Alltech, and RBC Future Launch.

About the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders Program
Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) welcomes young people ages 18-35 across Canada, involved in various aspects of the beef supply chain, to be paired with an industry leader in their specific area of interest for a nine-month mentorship. Through mentorship, networking, and travel, the Canadian CYL Program acts as an industry succession planning tool to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and tools they need to continue to drive the growth and profitability of the Canadian beef industry. Since established by the Canadian Cattle Association in 2010, the program has seen over 200 CYL graduates. Program applications are open annually for ages 18-35 on our website from early January to the end of March. Learn more at www.canadiancattleyoungleaders.ca.

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