Ellen Kouwenberg, the new incoming Executive Director of the World Potato Congress Inc., will replace outgoing General Manager Brian Douglas, a move welcomed by World Potato Congress President John Griffin.

She was employed by the Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) Department of Agriculture in various capacities, including Potato Services, Farm Business Management, and the International Programs Division. A secondment brought her back to the private sector, where she completed a feasibility study and helped establish the P.E.I. Potato Quality Institute (PQI), a nationally accredited testing laboratory that she later managed and expanded.

She has remained active in the global potato network after leaving PQI, collaborating on projects with USA University potato variety research programs, expanding international technical and regulatory trade, and farm biosecurity.

“She brings experience to the World Potato Congress through her global connections, facilitating incoming and outgoing agricultural missions and trade shows involving countries in North Africa, Central and South America, Philippines, USA, and the Middle East,” according to a recent press release.

Her family, which consisted of nine children, ran a potato/beef operation in P.E.I., Canada. She received her BBA from UPEI and studied International Business at the University of Copenhagen, traveling extensively throughout Europe and Russia as part of her studies and exploring various business models.

Ellen lives on a 285-cow milking herd dairy farm with her husband and three children. Ellen has been a 4-H youth leader for over 25 years, serving on various boards and committees in this and other organizations in her community. She has received a Women In Agriculture award for her ongoing contributions.

A graduate of the University of Guelph, Brian Douglas has enjoyed a public service career for over 37 years. His career has provided him with an appreciation and an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Canadian producers. From 2015 to 2016, Douglas was the Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet for the Government of Prince Edward Island. Previously, he held other senior-level positions in the Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) government, including Deputy Minister, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, and Deputy Minister, Agriculture.

Douglas spent most of his career at the Department of Agriculture where he served as Director of the Agriculture Resource Division and Manager of the Farm Extension Services. Throughout his career, he also served as a member and representative for the Province of Prince Edward Island on various boards and committees related to agriculture, transportation, and infrastructure at the provincial and national levels.