NEWS RELEASE

AGCare to launch new staffing arrangement

Guelph ON, June 1, 2009 - AGCare will shortly be unveiling a new staffing arrangement - one unique enough to be featured in the Globe and Mail last month. The organization is preparing to welcome its Executive Director back from maternity leave in early June, while at the same time transitioning its interim Executive Director into a new job sharing arrangement.
Executive Director Jackie Fraser will be returning to AGCare on June 8 on a three day per week basis, with Interim Executive Director Lilian Schaer, who has been leading the organization since May 2008, staying on the job for two days a week.

"As a board, we are very pleased about this new job sharing arrangement," says Richard Blyleven, Chair of AGCare. "AGCare is very lucky to have two very talented staff members and we are excited to be able to continue to work with both of them on behalf of Ontario's crop and horticulture producers."

Jackie will return to the Executive Director position and will assume responsibilities for board activities, technical aspects of the environmental issues AGCare handles on behalf of its membership and overall management of the organization. Lilian will manage AGCare's project portfolio and communications activities.

"Jackie and Lilian have two very complementary skill sets and are both specialists in their respective fields of expertise," says Paul Wettlaufer, AGCare's First Vice Chair.

"This arrangement allows us to keep that expertise with AGCare but at the same time stay within AGCare's budgetary parameters."

This unique work arrangement was recently featured in the Globe and Mail as part of an article exploring job sharing and potential reasons as to why it is popular in other parts of the world but not as widespread in Canada.

AGCare is the voice of Ontario's 45,000 crop and horticulture farmers on environmental issues. Visit www.agcare.org for more information.

For more information:
Richard Blyleven, Chair, AGCare, 905-779-3817