After only a year, BC Fruit Growers Association general manager Melissa Tesche has resigned to take her “dream job” as executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
“The timing is too soon,” Tesche says. “I would have loved a couple more years with the BCFGA but the opportunity is now.”
Tesche joined BCFGA in March 2024 following Glen Lucas’ retirement after 25 years with the association, saying she was “energized for the tasks and challenges ahead.”
The challenges of the past year have been among the most significant the industry has faced, including BC Tree Fruits Co-op’s closure. Co-op growers were required to be BCFGA members and were the core of the association.
Tesche addressed the challenges head-on with a collaborative message that put the industry’s common interests first.
“I am hopeful that the farming community will continue to come together through the BCFGA, that the ‘Stronger Together’ theme that we embraced over the last year becomes an industry ethic,” Tesche said in announcing her departure.
Tesche’s last day at BCFGA is April 11.
Tesche worked with OBWB from 2010 to 2012, covering a maternity leave placement. She returns as successor to Anna Warwick Sears, who is retiring after 19 years with the board.
OBWB chair Blair Ireland describes Tesche as “a strong leader” whose experience in the tree fruit sector “gives her a deep understanding of our work” and makes her “the perfect fit.”
Originally from northern Alberta, Tesche studied conservation biology at UBC Okanagan. Summers spent studying painted turtles deepened her appreciation for the region’s interconnected water systems.
The importance of connection and collaboration, central themes in her work with orchardists, will also be central to her work with OBWB as she oversees work to ensure clean water for farms, families and fish.
“Water security isn’t something we achieve alone; it takes all of us working together,” she says. “As the saying goes, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’”
A search is underway to replace Tesche as executive director.
With files from Tom Walker
Denman Island farmers supported