CIOPORA elects new board, president

CIOPORA, the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties, held elections for a new board and president during the association’s 56^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held April 24-28 in Toronto. Steve Hutton, president and CEO of Star Roses & Plants was elected president of CIOPORA. The following individuals complete the board, which will serve CIOPORA from 2017-2020:

• Wendy Cashmore, Plant & Food Research (New Zealand) – vice president
• Per Klemm, Selecta One (Germany) – vice president
• Dominique Thévenon, A.I.G.N. (USA) – treasurer
• Bruno Etavard, Meilland International (France)
• Lars Henriksen, FloriPartner A/S (Denmark)
• Rafi Karniel, Grapa Varieties (Israel)
• Maarten Leune, Royalty Administration International (The Netherlands)
• Jan de Riek, ILVO (Belgium)
• Dean Rule, Conectiflor SA (Ecuador)
• Peter van der Weijden, Florist Holland and HilverdaKooij (The Netherlands)

Andrea Mansuino, the predecessor of Hutton, will also remain on the board as immediate past president.  Seventy-four members – either in person or via proxy – cast their ballots during the election which took place on Wednesday, April 26.
 
Beyond elections, the CIOPORA AGM 2017 consisted of crop section and working group meetings, educational programming through the CIOPORA Academy, three special networking events, a full-day public conference, business excursions and other events which took place April 24-28. In all, more than 120 plant breeders, government officials and intellectual property experts from 23 nations attended the event.

Photo: the new board, provided by CIOPORA