Staff

Dennis Laycraft

Executive Vice President

Leading the CCA and its various divisions, Dennis serves as a spokesperson for the beef cattle industry on trade, product safety, and animal disease issues. A senior policy analyst and lobbyist for the CCA, Dennis addresses issues at the national and international levels which impact Canada’s beef cattle industry. He manages any legal actions that the CCA undertakes to defend Canada’s beef cattle sector from trade actions or unfair trade practices and is a member of the industry technical advisory group on World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

Participating on several government and industry task forces and committees, Dennis has chaired or sat in an advisory capacity on many initiatives including the Regulations and Standards working group on the Agri-Food Competitiveness task force; advisor to Canada’s Auditor General’s department on a number of food inspection and research matters; and is the current co-chair of the Beef Value Chain Roundtable which brings together industry leaders throughout the value chain to provide strategic direction. Dennis is a founding member of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency.

Ryder Lee

General Manager

Ryder leads the Canadian Cattle Association’s (CCA) operations as General Manager. Working closely with Dennis Laycraft and CCA’s elected leaders, Ryder engages with divisional leads on most key files to keep activity, policy and strategy aligned. Ryder’s background with the Domestic Agriculture Committee and Animal Health and Care committee work over the years make those areas more often a focus of Ryder’s direct involvement.
 
Ryder worked for the CCA in Ottawa from 2005 to 2015, where he was responsible for advancing federal and provincial files as the Domestic Agriculture committee’s staff lead. He also worked on animal care issues leading him to become chair of the National Farm Animal Care Council from 2014 to 2022. From 2015 to 2022, Ryder was the CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, where he worked on many similar files to CCA with a provincial focus. Prior to CCA, Ryder worked for Dow AgroSciences. Ryder’s brother runs the ranch in southern Saskatchewan where he spent his early years. His career has seen him working and living in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. He brings the experience he gained during his time at CCA, along with the wider exposure he received to agriculture in previous roles, to his everyday work for beef cattle producers.

Jennifer Babcock

Senior Director, Government and Public Affairs

Based in Ottawa, Jennifer leads CCA’s government and public affairs team, developing strategies to communicate CCA’s policy positions with the Federal Government and stakeholders. Prior to joining CCA, Jennifer worked in public affairs and advocacy with a focus on agriculture, health, trade, and environment. Jennifer also previously worked on Parliament Hill. She is involved in Canada’s government relations community, and advocates for mentorship and wellness opportunities within the profession.

Jennifer is also the staff lead for the Canadian Cattle Foundation, working with the Foundation’s board to develop partnerships with donors and identify sustainability and education opportunities in support of the Foundation’s vision. Follow Jennifer on Twitter @Jenn_Babs.

Myra Altwasser

Government Relations Coordinator

Based in the Ottawa office, Myra Altwasser supports CCA’s domestic advocacy and communications efforts. She coordinates strategic fly-in meetings for provincial members, plans and executes CCA events in Ottawa, aids in outreach and engagement with Parliamentarians and officials, and relays CCA activities back to producers. Before joining CCA, Myra worked with the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) and the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). She brings experience from her family’s beef operation in Southern Alberta to her role in Ottawa. Follow her on Twitter at @maltwass.

Glenice Bratvold

Accounting Coordinator

Providing accounting support to CCA’s Controller, Glenice is responsible for full-cycle accounting for CCA and its multiple divisions and departments.  She plays an important role in both month-end duties and the annual audit.

Sherin Chopra

Operations Coordinator

Sherin brings a diverse range of professional experience in business administration and service operations. She has worked with a variety of industries and departments for projects, sales, retail operations, customer service, academic compliance, supply chain, logistics, geoscience and event planning. 
 
As an Operations Coordinator, Sherin supports the management of CCA’s operational needs including project administration and financial reporting for government funded programs. She also assists CCA and its operating divisions with projects including annual corporation filings, oversight of insurance and other annual reporting and renewals along with other emerging administrative requirements.
 
Sherin also provides administrative support to the Canadian Cattle Foundation to assist with foundation operations and board activities including annual charitable reporting requirements, meeting planning, and fundraising activities.

Jarred Cohen

Regulatory Affairs Manager

Based in Ottawa, Jarred leads CCA’s regulatory efforts, particularly in response to government consultations, submissions, and letters. He supports CCA’s domestic agriculture and food policy files and helps craft policy positions with the federal government and industry stakeholders. Prior to CCA, Jarred worked at one of Canada’s leading business associations on several files including agriculture, transportation, and health. He has a keen interest and knowledge of the Canadian political scene and uses that knowledge to drive policy files forward. Follow Jarred on Twitter at @jarred_cohen.

Paula Jenkins

Office Manager

As office manager, Paula oversees all office administration, CCA’s annual general meeting, semi-annual meeting preparation, staff support, expenditure allocations and travel arrangements. 

Daniela Lombardo

Trade Policy Officer

Daniela Lombardo is a trade policy officer in CCA’s Ottawa office. Her role involves research, communications, and policy analysis about Canadian beef trade. Daniela received an honours bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a specialization in Political Economy from Trinity Western University. Her undergraduate thesis looked at the effects of NAFTA on Mexico’s economic development. Before joining the CCA team, Daniela worked with the Inter-American Institute of Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) in Ottawa, Canada. Born and raised in Mexico, Daniela is bilingual in English and Spanish. Her focus areas include trade, economic development, agriculture, and sustainability. Follow Daniela on Twitter: @dlombardo279 

Michelle McMullen

Communications Manager

Based in the Calgary office, Michelle leads communication efforts to promote the benefits of beef production in Canada, the important initiatives undertaken by producers to sustainably produce safe, high-quality beef, and the work undertaken by CCA. Prior to joining CCA, Michelle worked in the grain industry and the federal government in various capacities including market development, communications, and government and public affairs. 

Caron Melin

Controller

Caron brings a broad range of experience to her position with the CCA. After starting her career in and Oil and Gas and Tech industries, she has found a passion for the not-for-profit sector and agriculture. Caron manages CCA’s accounting department and is responsible for financial reporting, payroll, benefit administration and numerous other required financial responsibilities.

Jessica Radau

Youth Leadership Coordinator

Based in CCA’s Calgary office, Jessica coordinates and supports the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) program and the Young Cattlemen’s Council (YCC). Jessica is a 2018 graduate of the CYL program and is responsible for planning events, coordinating communications, sourcing funding and acting as the CCA staff person for the CYL program and YCC. Follow Jessica on Twitter @JessicaR_Giles.

Leigh Rosengren

Chief Veterinary Officer

Dr. Rosengren graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in 2001. After graduation Leigh worked in mixed animal practice in Humboldt and Weyburn, Saskatchewan. She received a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology from the University of Saskatchewan (2008) and established a consulting service for Canada’s livestock and poultry sectors with their animal health and food safety concerns. 
 
In recent years, Leigh has been focused on the family farm and cow calf operation. While doing so she completed a Masters of Agribusiness from Kansas State University (2021) with the intention of expanding consulting services to incorporate a more financial focus on health and management decisions.
 
Leigh has recently joined the Canadian Cattle Association as their Animal Health and Care lead. She also sits on the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association as a director and serves as the Animal Health and Welfare committee chair.

Larry Thomas

Manager, Environment and Sustainability

Managing environmental issues facing the industry, Larry staffs the Environment Committee and participates in many research and joint initiatives between the industry, government and international groups. Larry works on helping to set research directives, producer communication and environmental policy for the Canadian beef industry. Larry represents Canadian cattle producers at the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, and other sustainability committees. 

Mitchell Zoratti

Environment and Climate Change Coordinator

Mitchell assists CCA staff on the priorities of the environment committee with a specific focus on climate policy, government advocacy, and on environmental issues of importance. Mitchell is the fifth generation on his family’s cow-calf operation in SW Alberta, and he leverages this background in his capacity as the Environment and Climate Change Coordinator. His role is to network with allied organizations, conservation groups, academic institutes, government staff, politicians, and other entities, as needed, and to sit on various committees and working groups, to ensure the interests of cattle producers are well represented on issues around climate, environment, and sustainable beef production.