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President's Message

Dennis Hatt
President
Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce

I am really looking forward to my term as President for the 2008/2009 year. I know I will be spending many hours with the Chamber and will have a lot to learn, but I am excited to work with a chamber that is so well respected, not only in Lethbridge, but also provincially and nationally. Our Mission Statement clearly outlines our mandate as a community based volunteer organization, whose purpose is to serve and represent the interests of its members by promoting and enhancing free enterprise for the benefit of the social and economic environment of the City of Lethbridge. I commit to you, that I will fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my abilities, with the assistance and support of the many Chamber committees, which have always been a key component of the Chamber's success.

The first thing I wish to do is to personally thank Bruce Webster for his efforts as President during the past year. Bruce has a great understanding of the issues, is an excellent debater and has a keen sense of humor. These attributes were clearly evident at the Alberta Chambers Annual General Meeting in Fort Saskatchewan this past May, when 6 of the 7 Lethbridge Chamber sponsored or co-sponsored resolutions were passed. I know I can count on Bruce to provide mentorship during the next year.

Our Chamber year had a very busy start with the Executive Meetings in August and Board initiation meeting in early September. The Lethbridge Chamber's President's Dinner is set for October 2; the Canadian Chamber's Annual meetings in Quebec City; October 4 to October 6; Business of the Year Awards breakfast October 23; and Team Lethbridge meetings in Edmonton October 28 to October 30. I look forward to providing reports on all of these events to keep you well informed.

Included in this newsletter are the people elected to the 2008-2009 Board of Directors of the Chamber. Congratulations to those who were elected and thank you to all who let their name stand. I am also pleased to announce the appointments of Kimberly Finn, Dwayne Huber and Bill Waugh as Executive Directors and they will join Paul Pharo, Wayne Brewer, Sue Snicer and Bruce Webster on the Executive Committee.

Our Committees continue to be the backbone of our Chamber. Congratulations and thank you to all of those volunteers for all of your hard work. During the past year, our Committees' accomplishments include, but were not limited to; FIRE Awards, redevelopment of the Chamber's website, Trades Demo Day, Adopting a Citizen of Tomorrow, monitoring the Chamber's finances, policy resolution development for the Alberta Chamber's and Canadian Chamber's Annual Meetings, and Chamber events such as the President's Dinner, Mix and Mingles and Business of the Year Awards.

This is where I need your help. If you have volunteered in our Chamber in the past, I encourage you to continue your participation. If you haven't been involved previously, I invite you to make some time this year to become involved. Together we can make a difference to our community, our province and our country. New members are always welcome!

Looking forward to next year, our Chamber continues to be in a strong financial position and as a result, annual dues will not be increased. This allows the Chamber the ability to concentrate on issues, challenges and events, without having to fund raise for the day to day operations.

We do have many issues, challenges and events that will require our attention during the next year. Issues may include the high cost of energy and its effect on all of us, and the City of Lethbridge Budget and process. Events include the Centennial of the Lethbridge Railway Bridge and the 2010 Alberta Chamber's Annual General Meeting in Lethbridge. If you wish the Chamber to consider an issue, please contact myself or the Chamber office.

Although I have recognized our members, I think it is important to acknowledge how important our staff is to the organization. All of you know our General Manager, Jody Nilsson and the hard work and effort she puts into the Chamber. Her experience is invaluable as she mentors others in a similar position at other chambers. To Brent Botfield, Heather Scotland and Alyssa Cameron: thank you and we look forward to your continuing contributions.

Finally, I regret to announce the sudden passing of Stacey French in early July. Stacey was the owner/operator of Wee R Kids who rented our front office for many years. On behalf of the Chamber, we extend our sympathies to her family.

Best regards,
Dennis Hatt,
2008-2009 President
Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce

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