About IGPC

Board of Directors

ADRIAN OP`T HOOG, President and Chairman (Director Since 2006)
Adrian Op't Hoog is the owner of Hiview Poultry Farms Ltd. and Hiview Solar Ltd., located near Feversham in Grey County. The family farm produces broiler chickens and cash crops. The farm has also developed, built and now operates over 380 KW of grid-tied solar PV systems to produce electricity through the OPA's microFIT and FIT programs.

Adrian has been a Director on the Board of IGPC Inc. since 2006 and has been a Director on the Co-operative's wholly owned subsidiary, IGPC Ethanol Inc. since its inception in 2007. He has served as Treasurer for both Boards and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2007. He has been serving as Board Chair since 2013.

JOE KLOEPFER, Vice-Chair (Director Since 2002)
Joe was a founding member of the Board in 2002 and has held the positions of Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Chair. Joe was born and raised on the family farm, Lola May Farms, in Brant County. Along with his family they operate a cash crop, cattle and grain elevator operation. In the early 70's, Joe and his brothers launched Titan Trailers, a highway trailer manufacturing business that continues to flourish under the ownership of his brother. He is an active member of the Burford Lion's Club.

BRAD SHEELER, Treasurer (Director Since 2017)
Brad is an equity partner and member of the Executive Management Team at Huron Tractor Ltd, an eleven store John Deere Dealer in Southwestern Ontario. Brad is the Controller and Treasurer of the organization and is responsible for overseeing all finance, accounting, and tax functions. Prior to joining Huron Tractor Brad spent several years working in public accounting providing audit, tax, and consulting services to a wide range of both public and private clients. Brad spent his early years in a Canadian Tire store and had the opportunity to live in several locations across Canada, spending much of his time in rural Ontario. Brad graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2010 with his HBA and obtained his designation as a Chartered Accountant in 2013. Brad was elected to the IGPC Board of Directors at the 2017 AGM and began the Treasurer position in 2020.

GEORGE R. ALKALAY, Secretary (Director Since 2019)
George Alkalay was an advisor to Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative from its formation in early 2002 up until project commissioning in 2008. As Project Manager, George had primary responsibility for arranging project financing of the Aylmer ethanol plant; developing and implementing the comprehensive government relations strategy which led to the Co-operative obtaining its various federal and provincial Government capital grants and operating grants; negotiating all key project agreements including property purchase, EPC, corn procurement, and offtake agreements; and developing the capital structure and obtaining the regulatory approvals for the Co-operative to raise member equity from its approximately 900 community investors.

George is the principal of Northfield Ventures Ltd., which he formed in 1996. Northfield Ventures is a consulting firm providing a wide range of agricultural, food-processing, biofuel and renewable energy co-operatives, farm marketing boards, and private companies with business/strategic planning advice, assistance in financing, development and implementation of member/community investment campaigns, support with government regulatory approvals and funding, governance and management support, and project management.

Prior to forming Northfield Ventures, George held a senior management position at the Credit Unions and Co-operatives Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Finance and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (1991-1996) and was responsible for both the development of co-operative policy and the regulation of co-operatives.

LYNNE COHOE (Director Since 2014)
Lynne was acclaimed to the Board at the 2014 AGM and chosen as Treasurer following the 2016 AGM. She operates Homeland Grain Inc, a country elevator in Oxford County and is co-owner of Xygen Diagnostics Inc, a distributor of diagnostic test kits for the feed, grain and food industries in Canada. She has served with the Ontario Agribusiness Association as President, Director and Committee member. She is currently a director of the Agricultural Credit Corporation and was previously a director of Agricorp and the Grain Financial Protection Board. Lynne has an Economics degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a certified Grain Merchant.

GREG PATTERSON (Director Since 2015)
Greg is one of the principal founding members of A&L Canada and currently serves at its President, CEO and Chief Agronomist. Greg is an honours graduate from the University of Guelph and is a Certified Crop Consultant. With over 25 years of experience, Greg is now the owner and principle of five Canadian companies in the field of agriculture and technology, A& L Canada Laboratories, Soil Stewardship Group, A&L Biologicals, ALink Inc. and AERO Insights.

ERIC VAN MOERKERKE (Director Since 2020)
Eric is president of Willow Hawk Farms Inc. located North of Tillsonburg. The farm produces a variety of cash crops. The company also owns Doerksen Country Store in Port Rowan. Eric is also Vice Chairman of Ingreen Valley Foods Co-operative, a supply co-op for Bonduelle Foods. Eric attended the University of Guelph and graduated with a diploma in agri-business.

Eric is married to his wife Carol. They have 3 children, all married with 4 grandchildren and counting.

DENIS GAGNON (Director Since 2021)
Denis Gagnon grew up in a bilingual (French/English) community in Sarnia, Ontario. He then moved to London, Ontario and earned a Construction Technician Supervisor diploma from Fanshawe College. His formal career started by moving to Alberta in 1980 to join a Western Canada contractor. In 1986 Denis was promoted to a Branch Manager and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to launch their U.S. Operations. Denis' passion for construction and management prompted him to utilize his entrepreneurial skills and, in March of 1993, co-founded North America Construction (1993) Ltd • NAC Constructors Ltd. (“NAC”). The business was established as a small contractor pursuing construction projects of $10M in value and has grown its current capacity of single-sized projects of $250M. Today, NAC operates an employee-owned diverse national general contractor organization, providing heavy construction services to the municipal, civil, energy and biofuel marketplaces. Currently, Denis is the Chairman of the Board and the major shareholder.

Denis has served on various boards, including his current position as a Director on the board of Rockex Mining Corporation and previously ten years as the Chairperson of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada.

Denis also enjoys spending time with his treasured wife of 32 years, three adult children and one grandchild (so far). Denis has many hobbies, some of which include golf, fishing and playing cards. He and his wife recently moved to a new home next to his daughter, where he actively supports their small grass-fed beef cattle operation.

STU PORTER (Director Since 2022)
Stu began his career as a Refinery Chemist at the Suncor Sarnia refinery, garnering over 23 years of refining experience. Over that time, in addition to role as Refinery Chemist, Stu filled a role for 18 months as crude and fuels logistics planner that included gasoline blending. After leaving Suncor to begin his career as a biofuel consultant in July 2005, Stu worked for 18 months as a technical consultant for the NBB (National Biodiesel Board).

Stu joined BBI Biofuels Canada (part of BBI International) in July 2007 and served initially as a Technical Analyst, then Director Business Development and then Director of BBI Biofuels Canada. Projects and studies included grain ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, biomass and anaerobic digestion and studies included feasibility studies, business plans, industry surveys, market research, and marketing plans. As biofuels technical analyst, he provided input and oversight on biofuels technical reports and in Director role, responsibilities included conducting and managing technical projects and studies and was responsible for all business aspects of the BBI Canada office as well as technical input and oversight on all projects.

Stu formed Biofuels Consulting Canada Inc. in October 2013 and as President of Biofuels Consulting Canada is responsible for all aspects of consulting. Projects have included technical due diligence for new and emerging technologies, technical studies on a range of technologies including a wide range of feedstocks. These studies included ethanol, biodiesel, HDRD (Hydrotreated Renewable Diesel), SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), and clients include private industry, government and academia. Stu recently managed the Sky's the Limit project for FORGE Hydrocarbons, which was a government sponsored competition to produce low cost SAF (Sustainable |Aviation Fuel) in Canada.

Stu is a Technical Advisor for RICanada (Renewable Industries Canada) and has served in that capacity for the past 15 years. In that role, Stu represents RICanada member interests and has developed the CGSB ethanol and biodiesel standards, and provides technical guidance for federal and provincial regulations.

Stu is also co-Chair of the BQNC (Biomass Quality Network Canada) and is currently developing a project for NIR characterization of biomass.