MEET THE NDACT BOARD
Karren Wallace
Chair
Karren began her career in a law office and moved to the municipal sector in Economic Development and the Clerks department, then as a Municipal Advisor at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in Toronto for 10 years. Karen has now made the move back to the municipal sector.
Karren has been involved with the Shelburne District Agricultural Society (30 years), the Royal Canadian Legion (10 years), Music in the Hills Mulmur, nonprofit raising money for local youth, 4-H Clubs in Dufferin and she volunteers with the International Election Observation Project (CANADEM). She became involved initially with NDACT, but quickly realized that there was a great purpose in fighting the MegaQuarry. It was just the wrong thing to do and she was surprised at how the system was entirely rigged in favour of the aggregate industry. From there it became a mission to fight the good and right fight.
Brian Bell
Vice Chair
Brian retired as a vice principal from the Peel Board of Education in 2001 after 33 years in education. He has served as President of the Glen Abbey Residents Association as well as serving as a director on the board of the Oakville Galleries. Upon retirement in 2001, he joined the Boys and Girls Club of Peel first as Executive Assistant, then in 2005, as Financial Manager when the Club became the Lead Agency for the Ontario Ministry's Student Nutrition Program. Since moving to Creemore, Brian has become the volunteer Treasurer for the Creemore Station on the Green and for the Creemore-New Lowell Pastoral Charge. Not long after moving to Creemore, he became increasingly aware of the Mega-Quarry issue and so joined NDACT as a director in 2013 because he strongly supports its goals.
Carl Cosack
Community Liaison (Past Chair)
Carl has served as Charter secretary of the then Honeywood Lions Club, a member of the Dufferin Federation of Agriculture, the County Cattlemen's Association, (now Ontario Beef Farmers),and 4 years on the Toronto Food Policy Council. As a strong supporter of alternative agriculture Carl helped in drafting the original Organic Standards. He spent 2007 consulting to Oliver Ranch, a specialty beef marketer based in Santa Rosa California. He was nominated to the NDACT board in 2009 and served as its Chair from 2010 – 2014 through the Mega Quarry issue. With his wife and daughter, he runs Peace Valley Ranch, producing some fine black angus beef, as well as Rawhide Adventures, an agri-tourism adventure horseback riding business - all located in the beautiful Mulmur hills.
Nanci Malek
Media Specialist
Nanci spent 40+ years in the music industry, starting at television stations and then into working with the record labels and independent artists. Since moving up from Toronto in 1998, Nanci has been an active community member. She was a Melancthon Councillor during the quarry fight and prior to that, a board member of NDACT. For the last three years, Nanci has had the role of Chair for the Central Counties Tourism Board RTO6. Presently Nanci is with the Museum of Dufferin as the events and marketing coordinator. She has recently re-joined NDACT as her heart lies with the land, water and the people of this area.
Natalie Kotyck
Executive Director
Raised on a farm just outside of Mono Mills, Natalie started her career in Financial Services, IT, as a "coder", working her way up the ranks to successfully manage large-scale bank/brokerage IT projects. In 2000 with a foothold still in IT, she began her slow transition back to the real stock market developing and managing a variety of projects for Peace Valley Ranch Limited including pvrbeef.ca. In 2013 after 26 years she retired from IT making the final move to the Ranch in 2016. If her days were not busy enough, she also volunteered during the MegaQuarry, and has spearheaded smaller-scale neighbourhood delegations and letter writing campaigns about Arbour Farms, AdjTos Pit, Cox Landfill and Violet Hill - Greenwood.
Len Guchardi
Technical Advisor
Growing up in Shelburne, Len remembers regular visits to local farms and the Toronto Food Terminal with his father, securing produce for the family's wholesale/retail grocery business. He has an extensive background in Broadcast Production, spending 15 years in Toronto radio and television industries. Len has recently retired from a twenty-two year career in education, teaching Communications Technology, Film Studies and Music at CDDHS in Shelburne . An active volunteer helping out with the Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, BIA, Street Festival, Special Olympics, DCAFS and of course NDACT, Len can be found running on the Bruce Trail, behind a camera lens, a sound board, or a drone controller.
Darcy Timmons
Board Member
More information to come....
Julie Roy
Secretary
Before embracing full-time country life, Julie had a successful paralegal practice in Toronto. During the Mega Quarry, Julie acted as NDACT’s merchandising manager developing, distributing, and storing promotional materials such as buttons, stickers, and road signs both locally and in Toronto. She would also assist with fundraising by attending various events with regular merchandise as well as specialty products such as ball caps, t-shirts, and sweatshirts (which were designed in a collaborative project with the students of OCAD). After moving out of the city in 2021, Julie rebranded her career by starting a new business, Creemore Concierge and now does what she does best, building relationships and helping others. Julie and her family live happily in the hills forever learning about country life with her ever-expanding family of two adult children, dogs, horses, chickens, fish, and any other creature that needs to be helped or fed.
Ralph Armstrong
Honorary Board Member
The Armstrong Family are the fifth generation to farm the same land near Redickville since 1853 and Ralph is a founding member of NDACT.
"...The earth does not need people but people really need the earth. We need to take good care of Mother Earth for the children not yet born..."
Ted Metz
Board Member
More information to come...