Duane Hicks
While still looking for two more directors to fill vacancies on the board, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce elected a new executive at its regular meeting yesterday.
Cathy Emes (Skills & Employment Source) will be president for 2009 while Pam Andersen (Enterprise Rent-A-Car) will be first vice-president.
Leo Melanson (B93fm) is second vice-president, with Lillian Gerley (UPS Store) as treasurer and Christine Denby (Gillons’ Insurance) as past-president.
They join directors John McEvoy (Bell), Darryl Skinner (Wal-Mart), Mark Caron (M.L. Caron Electric), Jill Flamand (Northland Basics), Barb Cournoyer (TD Canada Trust), Bev Kotnik (Good Impressions Printing), and Anne Renaud (Confederation College).
Appointees on the Chamber board include Patti Anderson (BIA), Jane Gillon (Ministry of Northern Development and Mines), Angela Halvorsen (RRFDC), Christine Jourdain (Couchiching First Nation), Gary Rogozinski (AbitibiBowater), and Coun. Ken Perry (Town of Fort Frances).
The new board of directors was sworn in yesterday by Mayor Roy Avis.
Chamber manager Dawn Booth said she is excited to work with Emes, who has been on the board of directors since 2004 and many years ago served as Chamber manager.
“She’s come full circle,” Booth noted.
Meanwhile, Booth said she’s still looking for two people to sit on the board, and hopes to fill the vacancies as soon as possible.
The responsibilities of a director include:
•to help formulate and review various policies, proposed actions, programs, and projects so that the best interest of the Chamber and community can be accomplished through concerted action;
•to provide the personal leadership, enthusiasm, and support necessary to help co-ordinate and build an effective organization geared to solving community problems; and
•to evaluate and act on issues which come, or should come, before the board of directors.
As far as time commitment, Booth said the Chamber changed its meeting schedule this year so the board only meets once a month instead of twice (as it did for many years).
As well, the number of Chamber sub-committees has been condensed from 10 to five or six, meaning less meetings. Directors are required to sit on at least two sub-committees, and generally are encouraged to volunteer at Chamber events.
Chamber initiatives range from the recent Business Retention and Expansion project, flower beautification project (“Project Petunia”), and the spring home and leisure show to a tourism marketing campaign, “Quest for the Best” and “Kiddie Quest,” and the annual business awards gala.
For more information on being a director, call Booth at 274-5773.
