I am indebted and will be forever grateful to the members of Macra na Feirme who elected me to serve as the national president of our amazing organisation back in April 2015. The presidency has been a full-time role for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was very fortunate to have met such wonderful people along the way – both within the Macra na Feirme membership and wider agri-industry circles.
From the outset, my main objective was to continue the work of my predecessors in the role and continue to grow and develop the organisation during my term. We would never have thought at the start of my term that Brexit would now be a reality.
Over the past two years, our organisation has also seen considerable change. In late 2015 I suggested a full review of the operational and organisational aspects of the organisation be conducted. We commissioned Jack Keyes to complete this review and he presented his report in April 2016. His recommendations are currently being implemented.
Change at the top
In May 2016, our long-serving CEO Edmond Connolly decided to pursue a change in career. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Edmond for the contribution he made to Macra na Feirme during his time.
Recruiting a new CEO is one of the more difficult tasks that any Macra na Feirme president may have to undertake. In October 2016,we welcomed Denis Duggan to Macra na Feirme as our new CEO.
Strategic plan
At this weekend’s AGM, the Macra na Feirme strategic plan 2017 – 2024 will be presented to the membership. It clearly plots the future direction of the organisation and actions required to deliver the members’ vision for the organisation. Approved by the National Council, the plan was drafted by Pat Bogue and Ciaran Lynch following an extensive consultation with the membership and our various stakeholders over the last few months.
Highlights
There were many highlights over the past two years such as:
And finally ...
Macra na Feirme is a wonderful organisation with a very enthusiastic and committed membership. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work, dedication and support of the three outgoing vice presidents: Caroline O’Dowd in the north west, Odile Evans in Leinster and Gerard Griffin in Munster.
Thanks to the national officers of the organisations and committee chairs who served in the various roles over the last two years. I would also like to acknowledge the support and work of all the Macra na Feirme staff, led by CEO Denis Duggan. Finally, I sincerely thank all the volunteer members and leaders for their support and encouragement during my time as national president.
Best of luck to you all for the future.
Seán Finan
National President 2015 – 2017.