Assiniboine College to honour Johanne Ross for her contributions to ag education

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This article was published 11/06/2024 (690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine College will be awarding agriculture education expert Johanne Ross with an honorary diploma during the college’s graduation ceremony on Friday.

Ross will be awarded a diploma in community development “in recognition of her dedication to education in agriculture and passionate contributions to this important sector,” the college announced Monday.

Ross said she was humbled by the honour.

“I was equal parts shocked, delighted and then humbled when I heard I was to be honoured with a diploma from Assiniboine College,” Ross said. “It has been a distinct privilege to have my name associated with the college over the past seven years, first as a member of the board of governors and then to help lead in the Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture fundraising campaign.”

Ross said she has learned a great deal about Assiniboine over that time and has seen how the college has embraced change and growth through both challenges and opportunities.

“I am so proud of Assiniboine — the leadership, the faculty, the programs, the research, the students and of course our graduates, all striving for excellence, and achieving it. I thank the board of governors and faculty for this tremendous honour, and I will carry it with pride,” she said.

AC president Mark Frison said the honorary diploma recognizes Ross for her service to the agricultural sector nationwide.

“She has been an inspiration in our own pursuit of ag leadership and expansion,” Frison said. “She has been advancing the sector for many years, educating youth on how vast the sector is, the role it plays in each of our everyday lives, and the diverse career opportunities available. She’s a leader in every sense of the word.”

Among her many contributions to agriculture and the community, Ross has served with local 4-H clubs, the Minnedosa Credit Union board, the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation, the International Agri-Food Network, the Assiniboine College Board of Governors, and as co-chair of Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre campaign cabinet.

Ross’s accomplishments include decades of experience in organizational development and senior leadership within the Canadian agriculture and food sector, the college said in a press release.

Known for her insightful relationship-building, Ross has led hundreds of stakeholder collaborations, ranging from government entities to private industry, it added. She holds a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and has pursued a diverse career path that ignited her passion for inspiring youth to engage in agriculture.

Ross was a foundational builder with Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) in Manitoba and then across Canada, where her leadership was instrumental in the management and growth of AITC programming nationwide, ultimately serving as the national organization’s first executive director.

“Through this work, she was breaking new ground to build strong agriculture literacy offerings in Canada that continue today to deliver unique, relevant and inquiry-based educational experiences for all grade levels,” the college stated.

Ross operates a beef cattle farm north of Minnedosa with her husband, three sons and their wives.

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