Rick Istead has been a long-term player in Canadian agriculture, having worked for Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc. and its predecessor companies for almost 34 years in both eastern and western Canada and at its international headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Rick retired from Syngenta in mid-2006 and shortly afterwards established a small ag business consulting service based out of Calgary.
Now fully retired since April 1, 2014, Rick is keeping active through his involvement in Rotary. Thanks to Kent Fraser and John Fortunka, Rick joined the Rotary Club of Calgary Fish Creek in March 2007 and was club president in 2009-2010. Other club activities included the Stay in School program and he was membership chair from 2014-2016.
At the District level, Rick is the past chair of the District Youth Exchange Committee. He remains a Rotary Leadership Institute facilitator and is now your District Governor.