Demian Lawrenchuk to step down; Cynthia Neudoerffer appointed Transitional Executive Director, Board initiates comprehensive search for permanent successor.

Winnipeg – Today Food Matters Manitoba (FMM) announced that Demian Lawrenchuk has stepped down as Executive Director, effective March 7, 2025. The FMM board will be initiating a comprehensive search process to identify a permanent Executive Director. Cynthia Neudoerffer, former Chair of the FMM Board of Directors, has been appointed Transitional Executive Director. 

Demian has been awarded a two-year “Changemakers Fellowship” by the NDN Collective to support his personal, professional, and leadership growth. We are excited for him as he pursues this opportunity and wish him success in his future work. 

“It has been an honour to work with Demian,” says Transitional Executive Director, Cynthia Neudoerffer. “Demian operationalized the strategic vision the Board created in 2021, to establish the Northern Harvester program as a foundation for the organization and transform the way FMM holds relationships with Indigenous partners. Demian brought passion, drive, and energy to the position.” 

Over the past two and a half years, Food Matters Manitoba has become a dynamic team in the north and south, committed to Indigenous communities through relationships led by harvesters, youth, and Elders. FMM has supported community goals to enhance individual and community food security, healing and growth – connected by Indigenous food sovereignty. 

“As Food Matters Manitoba looks towards the future, the enthusiasm and leadership Demian brought to revitalizing Indigenous food sovereignty and security will continue to inspire those he worked with,” says Northern Programs Manager, Myles King.

Transitional Executive Director, Cynthia Neudoerffer brings over 30 years of experience applying social-ecological resilience and food systems lens to community led initiatives both globally and locally. She comes to FMM from over a decade with Canadian Foodgrains Bank, where she collaborated with a global network in the design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning of humanitarian food assistance and community food systems programs.  

“I look forward to ensuring the team in the north and south continues to seamlessly support harvesters, youth, and Elders in their work as we walk through this leadership change,” she says. “I am committed to taking the time necessary to support the Board in the search for a permanent Executive Director to guide the organization into the future.” 

Food Matters Manitoba looks forward to continuing to foster Indigenous food sovereignty and security by deepening existing relationships with harvesters, communities, and funding partners, while developing new partnerships with communities across Northern Manitoba.