Chamber elects board, prepares for new year
Welcome the new 2012 executive directors for the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce: Judy Dick, Pam Baron, Dan Lea, Marion Raugust, Brenda Raab, new vice president Jim Hamilton, Theresa Turner, new director Andrew Middleton, treasurer Linda Steinmann, President Greg Braat, and Inger Laing. Not in photo: Melodie Helm.
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The main goal for most chambers of commerce is to promote business growth in their town and the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce is no different.
The chamber held its annual general meeting Jan. 17 at the Ponoka Ag Event Centre to elect new directors, consider achievements in 2011 and to look at plans for 2012.
Two new directors were inducted into the chamber, Jim Hamilton as chamber vice president and Andrew Middleton as a director. Mayor Larry Henkelman was there to witness their swearing in.
Henkelman took some time to inform the businesspeople of Ponoka’s future and how the event centre has potential to entice business development in town. He thanked the other three partners of the Ponoka Ag Event Centre Society: Ponoka County, the Ponoka Ag Society and the Ponoka Stampede Association for their involvement with the centre.
The Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame has started moving into its new home in the upstairs portion of the centre.
“What a great thing for the Town of Ponoka,” Henkelman stated.
President Greg Braat thanked representatives of the Town of Ponoka for their work with the chamber.
“The chamber has had fantastic support from the town,” he said.
Ponoka has provided grants to the chamber to support events such as the trade fair, and Braat felt both have similar goals to, “benefit the community and businesses.”
Each year the theme for the trade fair changes and this year’s will be Up in the Air. Full plans have not been released as all the details are still being worked on. The fair has seen growth in the last three to five years; about 5,000 people attended last year.
The Passport to Christmas is another initiative of the chamber and although numbers are not in for last year, it generated $1.4 million of revenue for businesses in 2010, which was $200,000 more than in 2009.
The challenge Braat sees this year is how to deal with the surplus in chamber funds, probably used “along the lines of education seminars” for members.
“Good news again, we made money again last year,” said treasurer Linda Steinmann of the $12,660.15 net income.
Steinmann said the extra money should not be taken for granted; without support from the Town of Ponoka and events such as the trade fair and Almost Midnight Madness, the chamber would be $15,000 in debt.
Braat also thanked Ponoka’s economic development officer, Sarah Kraft, for her involvement. “She’s almost a director at large for us.”
Kraft has approached the chamber with several ideas on how to involve businesses and generate spending in town.
Braat is waiting for surveys to come back from members to receive their review of 2011.
