Laurel Feltin is the new Executive Director of SARM. She is the first woman to hold this position. (supploed photo/farmnewsNOW)

By Alice McFarlane

SARM selects new executive director

Agriculture group finds new leader close to home

Feb 13, 2025 | 4:37 PM

The first woman to hold the position of Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is settling into her new role.

Laurel Feltin officially took over the position Dec. 2 when Jay Meyer stepped down, and has a great deal of experience already with SARM.

“SARM has been my home and passion for the last 20 years,” Feltin said. “But what draws me most to this role are our members. Rural Saskatchewan people have that can-do attitude. They’re the ones who volunteer, and they’re the ones who step up to get things done. To me, being a part of that feels better than any accomplishment on my resume.”

Feltin has had a wide range of experiences with SARM. Her first position was as a Policy Analyst filling in on a maternity leave.

“I became, basically, the policy department at SARM for a little while. I also worked at administering grant programs, became the director of both our policy and communication branch. Our programs grants administration, I oversaw that department,” she said. “I’ve done everything in between except for become a lawyer, an engineer or an accountant because I would need certifications to do that.”

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SARM’s Acting President, Bill Huber, says he’s also excited for this new chapter and looks forward to working alongside Feltin to amplify the voice of rural Saskatchewan.

“Having worked with Laurel these last nine years, I know first-hand the magnitude of her leadership, expertise, and work ethic. It’s my absolute privilege to continue working with her as SARM steps into this province’s next chapter—one that rural Saskatchewan will significantly influence, structure, and write,” Huber said.

Feltin’s first annual convention as SARM’s Executive Director is coming up Mar. 11 to 13. She said that her number one goal for the event is the same as her goal for the year:

“As someone who’s come up through SARM and benefited from the mentoring and care of those before me, I can tell you that I profoundly understand the value of being of service to others. That’s why I really want my focus this year to be on building relationships,” she said. “That means seeing me walking around at conventions, not just shaking hands but asking members questions about what really matters to them.”

Feltin said hearing the resolutions at sessions is important but that’s not the same as getting a chance to touch base and find out what really matters to people at home.

“So that’s my goal this year—listening, learning, and building relationships. I can’t imagine time more well spent,” she added.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

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