The makeup of the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce board has changed, with the election of a half dozen new directors and the retirement of seven.
These were announced Wednesday during the Chamber’s annual general meeting at the Black Knight Inn.
The meeting also saw Bruce Schollie — owner of Schollie Research and Consulting — replace 2009-10 president Dom Mancuso.
Elected to the Chamber board for a two-year term are Graham Barclay of Prairie Office Plus, Desiree Bauer of 2020 Mindsight Professional Development Services, Tyler Bowman of REaction Marketing Solutions Ltd., Jim Brown of ABLE Evaluations Ltd., Sonia Sawyer of L.A. Radio Group Inc. and Jason Scheyen of Strata Energy Services Ltd.
Three existing directors were re-elected for another term: Dennis Cooper of Sky Wings Aviation Academy Ltd., Roxanne Kirton of Bower Place Shopping Centre and Brenda Kolasa of Visual Resolve Graphics.
Board members with another year to serve are Gayle Langford of Langford Law Office, Cory Litzenberger of CGL Strategic Business and Tax Advisors, Maureen McMurtrie of Servus Credit Union Ltd., Lee Myers of Wal-Mart Canada Corp., Jennifer Powell of Sweet Celebrations, Robert Saik of Agri-Trend Group of Companies and Marty Schmidt of Bearden, a Division of Genivar.
Appointed directors are Debbie Bonnett, representing Red Deer County; Red Deer Mayor Morris Flewwelling, representing the city, Joanne Packham, representing Red Deer College, and May Johnson of the Bethany Care Foundation, who chairs the Chamber’s Ambassadors committee.
Departing from the board are Mike Axworthy of Ax Computer Consulting, Jeff Carlson of Best Western Innisfail Inn, Bryce Hume of Firemaster Oilfield Services Inc., David Kovacs of Servus Credit Union, Don Sim of Olymel L.P., June Traptow of RJ Traptow Services Ltd. and Gil Vallee of The Capri Hotel, Trade & Convention Centre.
Schollie said he, Mancuso and Chamber executive director Tim Creedon will sit on the executive committee, with the first and second vice-president to be named at the board’s October meeting.
An annual report prepared by Mancuso and Creedon cited the foreign direct investment attraction project that the Chamber is involved in with partners Red Deer County, the City of Red Deer and Red Deer College as a highlight for the year. It also pointed to the Chamber’s success in developing policy positions, with nine local resolutions adopted by Alberta Chambers of Commerce in May and four being presented at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting this weekend.
“My year as president was rewarding, educational and I experienced heightened personal growth,” Mancuso said on Wednesday.
Schollie told members that during the coming year the Chamber will “further establish our voice as a policy leader locally, provincially and federally.”
“We consider the leadership role that we take in advocating to all levels of government on behalf of our businesses in the Red Deer region to be of utmost importance.”
Pat Kennedy, manager of the annual Agri-Trade Exposition — of which the Chamber is a partner — reported at the meeting that all of the inside exhibitor space at Westerner Park has been spoken for, with a waiting list of 58.
“When you look at a show that’s getting close to 2,000, 10-foot by 10-foot inside spaces, it gives you an idea of the size of Agri-Trade,” he said.
Kennedy added that outside exhibitor space for the Nov. 10 to 13 agricultural show is also nearly exhausted.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com