Gavin Betker
Farm Management Consultant, Backswath Management

Gavin Betker is a Farm Management Consultant with Backswath Management. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) in 2004. Having grown up on a farm, Gavin shares Backswath’s passion for advancing farm management. After obtaining his business degree, he worked as a production manager for Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors in Winnipeg. Not long after, he was promoted to regional service and logistics manager for the Southern Alberta region. Eventually, he decided to change career tracks and returned to his roots and came back to Manitoba to farm. He spent four years as a hired farmhand and learned even more about the agricultural industry first-hand. Gavin has been with Backswath since 2013, where he is combining his business and farm backgrounds together as a consultant.

Sara Chambers
Director of Operations, Backswath Management

Sara Chambers is the Peer Group Practice Leader and Director of Operations at Backswath. She is responsible for all aspects of the Peer Group Program, from supporting and recruiting members to ongoing management and development of the Program.
Sara grew up on a small acreage in Morden, Manitoba. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Department of Animal Science in the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba. After University Sara gained international experience in general business management including customer service, human resources, and bookkeeping where she lived in South Africa and Namibia. Sara brings to Backswath a passion for the client experience and supporting producers to achieve personal and professional success.

Kelly Dobson
Founder, Performance Coach, LeaderShift
Coaching Specialization: LeaderShift’s services focus on personal, interpersonal, and family challenges through personal/professional development and impartial coaching.

Kelly is a fourth-generation farmer and Certified Executive Coach who holds a MA in Leadership from Royal Roads University. Kelly has been formally coaching in the ag space since 2017. Initially working with farm families – primarily dads, next gens and their siblings, Kelly’s work expanded to include cohort-based coaching through the National Farm Leadership Program (NFLP). This in turn expanded Kelly’s client base to include agribusiness managers of both private and multinational firms.

Kelly’s primary interest is in equipping and supporting people to adapt to their changing environment, roles, responsibilities, and relationships. Over time, this becomes a catalyst for personal innovation and growth that underpins their professional success.