Voting to fill the two Northern Region supplier directors positions can be lodged online or through the mail. Voting closes at 5pm on Wednesday, August 23.

There are five nominations – Mr Paton, Ian Goodin (Yarroweyah), Paul Mundy (Cobram East), Brock Williams (Torrumbarry) and Ian Zandstra (Nowra) – while Cohuna’s Russell Robins withdrew his nomination for personal reasons.

The positions became available after Mr Jones, who farms at Kergunyah, and Graham Munzel, Gunbower, retired after serving a maximum nine-year tenure.

Natalie Akers, Tallygaroopna, was eligible for re-election but did not nominate and a board restructure means just two of those places would be filled.

Mr Paton grew up in the Mitta Valley. He is a director at Mitta Dairies and is also senior dairy advisor (Australia/New Zealand) for Victorian-based Lachstock Consulting.

“My objective in becoming a Murray Goulburn northern director is to collaborate with other MG board members to improve the transparency in the way the global market is effecting supplier milk prices,” Mr Paton said in his nomination.

“This will better inform the farmer members to make key on-farm decisions, and maximise the value creation from the global market place as it evolves.”

The two successful candidates will be announced on August 24 and then put forward for election as supplier directors at Murray Goulburn’s annual meeting on October 27. 

Mr Paton’s unique commercial agricultural industry exposure and dairy farming background would provide strong diversity and benefits to the board.

“I have the commodity trading, supply chain, advisory, and other dairy industry skills and experience necessary to help the Murray Goulburn board make better decisions around maximising the value for the farmer shareholders, which includes sending the correct price signals to the farmers,” he said.