Message from the 2011 Chair
2011 Year-End Review, by Tony Smith (Tristone Media Group)
Hard to believe, my year as Board Chair is over and done. This makes one reflect back on the reasons for joining the Chamber in the first place. During my corporate life we moved constantly and never had a chance to develop a sense of belonging to a community. Upon retirement and relocation to Peterborough I wanted to fulfill that sense of belonging, and to be part of a group that had a strong commitment and means to make positive change for the betterment of our community. I determined the Chamber was the exact avenue to fulfill this burning desire. There is absolutely no better organization you can serve where one can have input to advocate for positive change locally, provincially and nationally concerning the improvement to business and social environment issues impacting our country.
I had another strong desire to start a small business and see if I could make it successful…. actually I started two. The Chamber has proved, without a doubt, to be the best vehicle to access excellent networking opportunities. Not only to grow your business but to determine like-minded businesses to consult with to improve your business. Expertise abounds in all business disciplines within your Chamber and there is strength of fellowship to share this expertise. Having said that, you only get out of an organization what you put into it. So please feel obligated to help other businesses when they need help. Working together we will make a much stronger business community.
2011 was quite a ride. Given the loss of 42% of our revenue due to the termination of the Vehicle Licensing Operation, we were forced to concentrate on creating new revenue streams to balance the books. I’m pleased to announce this has been achieved for the 2012 Budget and, at the time of this writing, we are projecting the 2011 financials to be better than 2011 budget. These are very significant results indeed.
The Board and the staff had another very busy year. Here are some examples:
- Acquisition of The Wellness Expo and the partnership with the Homebuilders Association for the creation of a New Fall Home and Design Show in October 2012.
- The completion of the Chamber Business Centre, which has full occupancy.
- Your Chamber was the sparkplug incorporating Shining Waters Railway and establishing a Founding Board of Directors, who have aggressively taken this major project forward.
- Each and every Program Committee event was once again a great success.
- The Chamber’s policy and advocacy accomplishments during the year were numerous:
- Input into the Transit Review;
- Input into the Beavermead Park Review;
- Input into the City Planning Process;
- Hosting the Premier of Ontario;
- Affirmation that City Council is sticking to its 8 year plan to reduce the tax ratios to the range of fairness on businesses;
- Continuance of the important Government Affairs Committee;
- Establishing a solid presence on Social Media “Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn”;
- Creation of a new Chamber Website;
- The Workplace Integration Centre, helping to integrate foreign-trained professionals (funding through the Global Experience @ Work program from OCC).
I wish to thank my fellow Directors for their support during my year as Chair. Congratulations to Stuart Harrison and his team for their hard work and dedication in making 2011 a great success. My thanks to the Committee Chairs, as well as the many volunteers who support each and every committee to make them successful.
I’m personally looking very forward to Jef Dueck’s tenure as Chair during 2012. Jef has earned his stripes no matter how you measure his Chamber success and is a fine example of……”you get out of your Chamber what you put into it”.
Congratulations Jef!