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 Canada Beef mentors Canadian Cattle Young Leader The Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program welcomes young people ages 18-35 across Canada, involved in various aspects of the beef supply chain, to be paired with an industry leader in their specific area of interest for a nine-month mentorship. Through mentorship, networking, and travel, the CYL program serves as an industry succession-planning tool, equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills and tools to continue driving the growth and profitability of the Canadian beef industry. Since its establishment by the Canadian Cattle Association in 2010, the program has graduated over 200 CYLs. This past program year, Canada Beef’s Director, Health and Nutrition, Karine Rekunyk, mentored Caylene Manning, a CYL finalist and fellow Registered Dietitian (RD), making this the first time a CYL finalist was mentored by an RD. This mentor-mentee pairing demonstrates the expanded scope of the CYL program, which benefits an important support role Canada Beef provides to policy groups and helps attract more candidates to the program.  Caylene Manning Rekunyk noted that much of her time with Manning was spent orienting, teaching and sharing the work done within the nutrition program at Canada Beef, where evidence-based research is used to build awareness about the nutritional benefits of beef. “Caylene gave back to me as much as I gave to her and it has been a pleasure and privilege to mentor a CYL participant this year. With her great insights and concrete contributions, the experience was both productive and rewarding. It was also a pleasure to get to know her personally. She’s a true ambassador for beef nutrition and I look forward to watching her grow in her career,” she said.  Manning shares her experience in the following article: "I was fortunate to be selected as a 2025-2026 Canadian Cattle Young Leaders finalist. My interest in this program stems from growing up on a mixed vegetable and beef farm in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, and from being a Registered Dietitian passionate about food and agriculture. This program allowed me to combine these two passions. Becoming a CYL finalist was a valuable experience. The selection process included a roundtable event where I was paired with fellow semi-finalists to answer questions on various beef industry topics. Panels of industry professionals judged our responses. Though initially daunting, the experience allowed me to connect with many future leaders in the beef industry. I was very fortunate to have been paired with Karine Rekunyk, Director of Health and Nutrition for Canada Beef, as my mentor. Rekunyk brings significant expertise across health, nutrition, and the beef industry, as well as a passion for all things related to beef nutrition. I attended several conferences, including The Future of Food in Ottawa, Harvesting Connections in New Minas, and the Canadian Nutrition Society Conference in Halifax. I also assisted at the ThinkBeef.ca booth at the PriMed Conference in Toronto. These conferences broadened my perspective on what I can achieve as both a Dietitian and an agriculture enthusiast. I spoke with a wide range of professionals about food, nutrition, and beef. While I already recognized that beef provides excellent nutrition, I discovered much about the research showing why beef plays an important role in a healthy diet. A key takeaway of this program is to never stop learning and connecting. Each person you meet has a different perspective and knowledge you can learn from. Put yourself out there; you’ll be surprised where it takes you." Back to main page  KARINE REKUNYK Director, Health & Nutrition |
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