Honourary associate to be presented at NSAC Convocation

Jean-Paul Deveau, President of Acadian Seaplants Limited (ASL), a bio-tech company specializing in the manufacturing, cultivating and processing of marine plant products, will receive an Honourary Associate during the university’s 106 Convocation ceremony, Friday, May 6th, 2011.

Nova Scotia Agricultural College recognizes individuals as Honourary Associate as those who have made outstanding contributions throughout their careers to agricultural education or to the advancement of agriculture.

“I congratulate Mr. Deveau on receiving this recognition from the NSAC for his work in the seaweed industry and his contribution to its growth globally,” said John MacDonell, Minister of Agriculture. “Value-adding, innovation and research are important components of our resource sectors, helping to create jobs and grow the economy.”

Mr. Deveau’s involvement in the seaweed industry began in 1986 when he took the position of Director of Marketing for Acadian Seaplants Limited. In this capacity he established Acadian Seaplants in global agricultural markets emphasizing the use of kelp meal and seaweed extracts. In 1994, Mr. Deveau became the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing and was responsible for the development of sales and marketing for all product lines including kelp meal, seaweed extracts and cultivated edible seaweeds. In 1996, Mr. Deveau became Vice-President and General Manager of the company and managed four major manufacturing facilities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick from a corporate office in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He became President of ASL on May 24, 2002.

“NSAC has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with ASL over the years including a very active research partnership,” explained NSAC Co-President Dr. Leslie MacLaren. “These have included numerous Atlantic Innovation Fund projects as well as a prestigious five-year Industry Research Chair position in Whole Plant Stress physiology. This kind of collaborative research work, which continues to grow, goes a long way to increasing the critical mass of technical expertise in the province.”

Jean-Paul Deveau is a past chair and currently serves on the Board of BioNova (the Nova Scotia Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry Association). He sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (Nova Scotia Chapter), is a member of the Nova Scotia Premier’s Council on the Economy and the Council of the International Seaweed Association -an international group of academic and industrial users of seaweed responsible for organizing international seaweed symposia. He was most recently Chair of the 2011 Canada Winter Games held in Halifax.

ASL continues to be one of the largest employers of NSAC graduates in the Atlantic Provinces and last fall, sponsored a $1000 annual scholarship for senior undergraduate and graduate students studying Aquaculture.

Mr. Deveau will address the 236 graduates scheduled to participate in this year’s ceremony beginning at 2pm in the Langille Athletic Centre. The ceremony will also be webcast at http://nsac.convocation.tv