West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce  announces new directors

West Nipissing, Ontario - On December 12th, 2013, the newly elected Board of Directors of the West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce met for the first time as a Board. The initial meeting determined the 2014 executive, and also saw a board orientation. The new President of the board is Kathleen Thorne Rochon, owner of Thistle Marketing. Also new to the executive is Secretary Isabel Mosseler of the Tribune, Sturgeon Falls. Reg Piquette, owner of Quality Contracting, Verner returns as Vice-President and Nicole Tanguay of Banque National will maintain her position as Treasurer.

Returning board members are Andrew Cliffe of RBC Royal Bank of Canada, Theo Tsiogas of Mr. Sub, Tom Lambert of Nipissing First Nation, and past-President Greg Demers, KOA Sturgeon Falls, will also sit on the Board of Directors as ex-officio. New directors include Yvon Duhaime of Duhaime Holdings, Adam Gardiner of C.A.R.E. Cleaning, Sophie-Anne Leblanc of Earth & Soul Landscaping and Patrick Keough of Larry Lennon Electric. The board also gratefully acknowledges Ren�e Beauparlant, Agente de d�veloppement �conomique of RD�E Ontario, who will attend board meetings in an advisory capacity.

New president Kathleen Thorne Rochon was elected at the 2012 AGM as a director on the Chamber board. Kathleen owns a local marketing and design agency and her background includes marketing and event management roles with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade. "I am honoured to have been selected as president of the West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce, especially at a time when there are so many exciting opportunities on our horizon. We have an excellent board and staff in place and with the funding the Chamber has received for the multi-year business growth initiative project, the West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce is in a position to make a tangible impact on the success and vitality of our local business community."

The Chamber has also welcomed two full-time employees, Mike Bozzer, Project Manager and Jolene Lisk, Project Coordinator. "We are very excited to have such a diverse, and committed board. We have a great mix of members, representing retailers, contractors, property owners, and new and well-established businesses. They are all community and business minded people," said Mike Bozzer.

Mike is spearheading the Chamber's new project, the West Nipissing Business Growth Initiative. The project is a multi-level multi-year project designed to enhance local markets by ensuring sustainability and encouraging growth opportunities while at the same time addressing issues such as food security, youth entrepreneurship, and export marketing opportunities for small and medium size enterprise. As part of the project, the Chamber will be unveiling a new website that includes a full inventory of businesses in West Nipissing and will feature a built in E-Commerce catalogue where business owners can register and sell products in the marketplace. There is also a major agricultural component of the project that includes a regional agricultural symposium and a farm products trade show, as well as to determine the infrastructure needed to make local food security in northeastern Ontario a reality.