GrainsWest Winter 2021

Winter 2021 grainswest.com 17 BY ELLEN COTTEE • PHOTOS BY ROB McMORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY RDAR interim chair Dave Chalack oversees the new group’s approach to farm research A CLEAR PATH TO RESULTS GrainsWest: You started out as a veterinarian and switched gears to join the Alta Genetics team where you are now the international marketing director. What drove that change in career? Dave Chalack: I was born and raised on a dairy farm west of Calgary, passionate about breeding cattle. I was the oldest and didn’t automatically take over the farm as is sometimes the case. I initially went to school with the objective of getting a degree in agriculture, but partway through I saw other people applying to med school. I said, ‘if they can get in, I can get in.’ So I went into veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. I was injured by a horse while I was a vet and had to have two back surgeries, so I wasn’t looking to continue. At that time, the then-president and CEO of Alta Genetics, Doug Blair, called and asked if I would head up their live cattle division. That was in 1989, and I’ve been working in various roles there since. GW: In addition to your long history with Alta Genetics, you’ve also enjoyed an extensive tenure on many boards, including serving as director of the Calgary Stampede for 17 years. What draws you to these roles? DC: Where I really started to focus on governance was at the Cal- gary Stampede, as I was in leadership. I firmly believe, and this goes across all organizations but is very applicable to agriculture, the foundational importance of good governance processes, un- derstanding roles and responsibilities and how the decisions are made. I’m focused on governance; I’ve served on many boards. Organizations tend to flounder around the governance piece, and then it cascades through performance, financial and other areas. R esearch drives growth, profitability and sustainability in agriculture, but what drives research? To Dave Chalack, it’s always been clear the main impetus behind the funding of scientific research should be to produce results for farmers. Chalack has brought his decades of agri- cultural experience to the position of interim board chair of the newly formed Results Driven Agricul- ture Research (RDAR). The organization embodies Alberta’s fresh direction in grant allocation. Its 50-member advisory committee is comprised largely of farmers and ranchers. Additional mem- bers include representatives of post-secondary insti- tutions and other research entities. These experi- enced advisors will provide input in key areas such as finance, operations, governance and, of course, research. With the ability to administer $37 million in grants annually, the group will focus on projects that demonstrate direct benefit for farmers. It was this commitment to the farm bottom line that drew Chalack to RDAR. Alberta’s newest re- search organization will oversee investment with an eye on the generation of profitability and competi- tiveness. The group has now begun to award project funds, just nine months following its inauguration.