COCHRANE— Helping to weather the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce has elected a new executive board.
Kelly Sinclair was elected president of the Chamber. Sinclair runs a marketing and PR practice in Cochrane called KS Communications that was launched in 2017.
“I think it’s so important that we have small businesses in our economy and I think that small business owners who can create a lifestyle that they want for themselves will help to essentially contribute to the overall happiness of the world,” Sinclair said.
She added that she is honoured to have been given the confidence of the board to take on the responsibility of president.
“I’m excited by the challenge that this role entails,” she said. “These are particularly important times to be supporting small business— that’s something that’s really meaningful to me personally.”
Sinclair joined the Chamber in 2019 and served as secretary, the newly elected secretary is Julie Tuite, marketing representative for the Cochrane Eagle.
Jag Thind owner of Mehtab East Indian Cuisine was elected vice president of the Chamber and Dwayne LaMontagne co-owner of Cochrane Lanes was elected treasurer.
The board is committed to supporting members and is now working on overcoming the challenges that have been created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to show our support by providing resources and providing opportunities for connection and collaboration,” Sinclair said.
The Chamber is streamlining information in regards to government programming and resources, she said, along with facilitating collaboration between local businesses using a weekly conference call and a Slack channel.
As new Chamber president, Sinclair said, it is pivotal to foster open two-way communication with membership to better understand their needs and how they can provide support.
Typically the board would be preparing for the Chamber of Commerce trade show that was set to take place on May 2.
The event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Sinclair said the Chamber is unsure of what will happen now, but they are working on alternative opportunities, she said. She added that future events will depend on when COVID-19 public health measures are lifted.
“The Trade Show is our marquee event and for many of our members it a really important promotional opportunity,” Sinclair said. “We are trying to be creative about how we might be able to provide that opportunity for them in some kind of different format.”
The Chamber is already embracing innovation, she said, explaining that they held this year's annual general meeting virtually— a first for the organization.
Small businesses face many challenges at all times she said, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis and inventive adaptation will be needed.
Sinclair said the Chamber now has the opportunity to embrace innovation and creativity, impressed with how people are already adapting.
“We want to hear from members and get their input,” Sinclair said, asking business owners to reach out to her directly at [email protected] to share ideas and requests on what steps the Chamber can take to support local businesses during the pandemic.
The new Chamber board of directors includes Paul McDonald general manager Cochrane Now, Lisa Pobran, Ozzie Sawicki director and CEO of Amped2Play Inc., Susan Ransom of Krang Spirits— Distillery and VisionCraft Development and Mark Eaton founder and coworking Catalyst of The Corner Coworking.
