About

A policy strategist and association executive, Karen brings over 20 years of senior management in both the public and private sectors in Canada.

Karen is currently the President & CEO of Fertilizer Canada; a role she took on in April of 2021. Fertilizer Canada is an industry association that represents manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur fertilizers.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science from Ryerson University in 1997, Karen began her career with Health Canada as an Environmental Health Officer working on First Nation Reserves in Alberta. Over her almost decade-long career with Health Canada, Karen took on increasingly senior-level management roles including leading the department’s legislative renewal initiative aimed at modernizing Health Canada’s health protection legislation.

In 2006, Karen left the public service to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Her most recent roles, prior to joining Fertilizer Canada, were that of: Chief Operating Officer for Food, Health and Consumer Products Canada, President of Consumer Health Products Canada, and Vice President of Federal Government Affairs for the Retail Council of Canada.
Karen is a current board member of Nutrients for Life, a charitable organization focusing on soil science and agricultural sustainability. She is also a past board member of the Global Self-Care Federation, Labour Watch, as well as the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education.

Clyde Graham is the Executive Vice-President of Fertilizer Canada in Ottawa, where he promotes the interests of the fertilizer industry with politicians and government officials. Clyde has been instrumental in the adoption of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship system – the Right Source @ Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place® – at the federal and provincial levels. Clyde was also involved in negotiating the adoption of the Nitrous Oxide Emission Reduction Protocol (NERP) in Alberta. He is a member of the technical and management committees of the North American 4R Research Fund. As a member of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada board of directors and the Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions Expert Advisory Committee, Clyde supports farm practices that are both economically and environmentally sustainable. Clyde has worked in Ottawa since 1987, as a Canadian Press news reporter on Parliament Hill, a lobbyist for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and as a consultant for corporations and national associations. He grew up on a grain farm near Regina, Saskatchewan.

Claudia is the Chief Financial Officer at Fertilizer Canada. Claudia joined the organization after finishing the bookkeeping program at Algonquin College and completing a volunteer accounting position with In-TAC as part of OCCSC program.

Prior to living in Canada, Claudia worked for 11 years in the accounting department at Transportes Sanchez Polo S.A., a large transportation company in Colombia. Claudia has a BA from the Autonoma University in Barranquilla-Colombia. Claudia is actively pursuing the CPA Ontario certification.

Kim Devison is a seasoned Director with more than 15 years’ experience. Prior to joining Fertilizer Canada in 2013, Kim lived in Bermuda for six years where she worked for EY in audit and supported six Partners across three countries. Kim holds a B.A. from Carleton University.

Cassandra Cotton is the Vice President of Policy & Programs at Fertilizer Canada where she is responsible for building a robust program and policy platform that forms the foundation for the organization’s advocacy work.

Specifically, she directs the development and delivery of a number of wide-ranging issues including safety and security, 4R Nutrient Stewardship, climate policy, product regulation, and transportation through engagement with industry members, stakeholders and government agencies. Proactively developing sound policy related to these complex issues helps create the business climate necessary for member success.

As a member of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada board of directors, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops, and Field to Market Canada, Cassandra supports farm practices that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Cassandra received a bachelor’s degree at St. Francis Xavier University and completed her post-graduate degree in Public Relations at Humber College. Originally from Prince Edward Island, Cassandra has worked in Ottawa for over a decade with multiple organizations including United Way Ottawa and the Public Health Agency of Canada before joining the team at Fertilizer Canada in September 2012.

Catherine King is Vice President of Communications and Stakeholder Relations for Fertilizer Canada where she is responsible for the strategic communications and government relations for the association. Working to ensure the Federal and Provincial governments, stakeholders and media understand the essential role that the fertilizer industry plays in both Canadian and global agriculture.

Since joining Fertilizer Canada, Catherine has developed and executed campaigns on a variety of programs and initiatives, which have helped her to develop a strong understanding of the industry and its priorities.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Catherine attended McGill University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Canadian History. While attending McGill, Catherine worked at Ogilvy Renault in the Patent and Trademark Department. In 2006, Catherine completed her post-graduate degree in Corporate Communications at Seneca College, graduating with honours. Catherine worked for a Public Relations agency in Toronto prior to joining Fertilizer Canada.

Dan is an experienced executive that has worked closely with leaders in Government and Industry over the past twenty-five years. He specializes in government relations and advocacy with a focus on public policy that supports innovation and economic growth as well as health and environmental sustainability. Born and raised in Western Canada he now lives in Ottawa.

As Director of Policy and Industry Standards at Fertilizer Canada, Nadine Frost works to consolidate and address regulatory issues and shape government policy relevant to the fertilizer industry. Within this role, Nadine provides leadership on the anhydrous ammonia file, addressing regulatory issues and promoting safety and security through the Anhydrous Ammonia Code of Practice. Additionally, Nadine works to advance the fertilizer products sector and advocate for fair and science-based regulatory oversight.

Following her BSc. (Honours) in Toxicology from the University of Guelph, Nadine completed her MSc. in Chemistry from Carleton University (2015). Her research was focused on the use of synthetic DNA aptamers as recognition elements in biosensors to detect harmful agricultural mycotoxins in the field. Nadine joined Fertilizer Canada in 2015 as an ECO Canada intern, and is actively pursuing her Environmental Professional (EP) certification through ECO Canada.

Kayla is a communications professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment. She comes from spark*advocacy, a boutique communications agency specializing in public affairs. At spark* she led the digital and media targeting team responsible for crafting and delivering messages to the right audiences across earned, owned, shared, and paid media channels. She worked on a wide range of files including agriculture, natural resources, defense, health, and telecommunications.

Before that, Kayla worked in public affairs at the Canadian Automobile Association where she managed advocacy campaigns on a variety of topics, including distracted driving, electric vehicles, and cannabis-impaired driving. She represented the organization as a national spokesperson through earned media efforts as well as managed their digital presence, social media channels, and website redesign and maintenance.

Kayla is also a part-time instructor at Algonquin College, teaching a public relations writing and strategy course.

As Director of Product Stewardship, Frank is responsible for strategic policy management and 4R Nutrient Stewardship and product regulation. He engages with key national and regional partners to ensure an increase in the awareness and adoption of best practices by Canadian Growers and sustainability platforms. Frank also works closely with Fertilizer Canada members and government officials to ensure a science-based policy and regulator environment for the registration of fertilizers and supplements.

Born and raised in the Yukon Territory, Frank received a Masters in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Western Ontario before moving to the Ottawa region in 2018.

Dustin joined Fertilizer Canada in January of 2023 as Director of Government Relations. He comes with significant political and government experience at both the provincial and federal levels with a strong focus on economic development. He holds a Masters of Administration in Leadership with a concentration in project management as well as 4th class Power Engineering certification.

Originally from Saskatchewan, Dustin is committed to strengthening and advancing the fertilizer industry by advocating the safe, secure and sustainable use of fertilizer to Canada and the world. He is leading the provincial engagement strategy and takes great pride in showcasing the benefits fertilizer can offer.

In her role as Manager Member Services, Susan is responsible for supporting membership growth, as well as fostering and developing relations with existing Fertilizer Canada members.
She brings 20 years of experience in member services at national not-for-profit associations.
Susan graduated from Laurentian University with a BPHE (Honours).

In her role as Policy Analyst, Katherine is responsible for supporting the development, advocacy, and management of Fertilizer Canada’s policy and programs activities on issues affecting our members. This includes providing support in developing Fertilizer Canada’s official positions on various policy areas, assisting in initiatives to engage with federal and provincial government departments, and the development and delivery of public policy advocacy and Fertilizer Canada programming in collaboration with Fertilizer Canada members and staff.

Katherine graduated with a B.A. (Honours) in Political Science (2019) from the University of Windsor and recently completed an M.A. in Political Science (2021) from the University of Western Ontario.

Labonya Nirjan is the 4R Solution Project Coordinator assisting in the planning, development and implementation of the administration, advocacy and communications related to the 4R Solution project strategy.

Labonya was a trainee with the Environmental Immigrant Bridging Program of ECO Canada, which assist internationally trained individuals, with skills and experience that align with the Canadian environmental sector. Labonya received the prestigious Endeavour Postgraduate Award from the Australian Government for her Masters in Environment with a major in Development from the University of Melbourne.

She has lived, travelled, worked and volunteered in 10 different countries and is now settled in Canada since 2017. She has worked in number of International NGOs at the field level and worked closely with the community. Her main area of work was in disaster mitigation and preparedness; and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. However, she has also volunteered in Ghana, West Africa where she worked with children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Before joining Fertilizer Canada, Labonya was working with a Vancouver based not for profit organization that works in empowering newcomers to Canada.

Tram has joined Fertilizer Canada, taking on the role of Accounting Assistant. Tram obtained her Bachelor of Economics in Accounting and Finance at The Economics University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam prior to moving to Ottawa. She also received her bookkeeping certificate at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

Having worked for H&R Block for numerous years, Tram has extensive experience in personal income tax preparation.
Prior to her joining Fertilizer Canada, Tram has worked for the Ontario Lottery Corporation and The Hard Rock Casino Ottawa, excelling in casino accounting practices.

As a highly motivated, well organized professional, Tram is excited to contribute her skills to Fertilizer Canada.

Zuleyma Acosta is from Barranquilla-Colombia. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management, and recently graduated with honours in Bookkeeping and Accounting Practices at Algonquin College. She has +10 years of administrative and customer service experience. The last position she performed was as an Administrative Assistant in Lean Solutions Group which is a company that provides nearshoring and offshoring services in operations, software development, marketing, sales, staffing and BPO.
Originally from Colombia, Jouset attended Universidad Autonoma del Caribe where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance. Soon after, Jouset moved to Canada and completed a post-diploma program at Algonquin College receiving a Marketing Management graduate certificate (honours).

In her role as Communications Coordinator at Fertilizer Canada, Isabelle Del Rio is responsible for developing and executing communications strategies focused on increasing Fertilizer Canada’s online presence through social media and web-based.
Isabelle recently graduated with a B.A. (Honours) in Public Relations from the joint University of Ottawa and Algonquin College program. During her studies, she ran a charity campaign raising $20,000 for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre, an organization that advocates for youth mental health. Isabelle has a passion for photography and film, as well as an interest in various social media platforms and digital trends.

Working as a Policy Analyst in the Science and Regulatory Affairs team at Fertilizer Canada, Sean spends time working to develop effective communications between Government, Fertilizer Canada members, and Industry associations alike regarding environment and climate legislation.

Sean graduated with a B.Sc. in Earth Science from the University of Ottawa, where he played five years for the University’s men’s baseball team. Following this, Sean received a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Assessment from Algonquin College.

After completing her BSc in Environmental sciences (2020), focusing on climatology and atmospheric science. Nicole continued at the university of Guelph to complete her MSc in Environmental sciences (2022). Her research investigated the impact of cover crops and nitrification and urease inhibitors on nitrous oxide emission from agricultural soils. Her passion for agriculture and the environment began in the farm fields of her small family crop farm in southern Ontario.