Lots of shaking of hands and conversations happened at Thursday's Morden Chamber of Commerce 2023 AGM at the Morden 55+ Activity Centre.
Board Chair Tyler Schroeder was pleased with the full crowd, and the rate of growth the organization has seen, because of targeted efforts through the Strategic Plan.
"We had 47 businesses represented in the room today. We had over 100 people present in total. We have 245 members as part of our organization, and we're growing quite rapidly. Our goal is to add 2% net per year, and we're well on track to do that, adding two to four new members on a monthly basis right now, because people are seeing and believing in the value proposition of the Chamber of Commerce, and we're grateful for the trust that they bestow upon us."
Schroeder was pleased to share the successes the organization has seen in the last year, building momentum into this year.
"We hosted, or cohosted, 24 events in the last year, adding value to our membership through networking and learning opportunities. We've redone a strategic plan that we're completing year one of three, and we're well on track to meet the objectives we set out in what was looking like an aggressive strategic plan a year ago that now looks very obtainable."
Treasurer Derek Hamilton gave a strong financial outlook for the organization which reported a small deficit, but Schroeder explained there is plenty of money in reserves to cover that and to be used for future projects.
"We have an active group of committees filled with talented community members, board members, etc. that have an aggressive mandate to attack our strategic planning goals, and to seek additional value and add opportunities to bring to our members. We feel like we're in a very strong position, and part of the message we are communicating today (Thursday) is we're on track and we have the ability to do more, if we can add capacity to our organization. So, we're actively asking our members to tell us what they need from us, and we're also asking them to help us."
This is the first year in a while, all ten board positions have been filled. The board said thank you to outgoing Past Chair Grant Nicholson who completed his maximum term limit of 6 years, and welcomed some new faces to the board.
"We put a challenge in front of us this year to be very focused in the skills, talents and the diversity we'll be sitting around our board table. That was one of our strategic plan objectives, and we can put a big green check mark beside that one. We have an incredibly talented board of 10 people that will be starting their work right now in a new fiscal year, along with our Executive Director who is of the highest quality, Clare Agnew."
Schroeder said the organization is looking forward to several learning opportunities coming up, as well as the golf tournament in June, which sold out quickly last year.
Elected to the board of Directors:
Brent Laverty, Crocus Real Estate – 2-year term
Susan Lee, Checker Signs – 2-year term
Derek Hamilton, BDO Canada – 2-year term
Mariyam Tsygankova, Many Hands Resource Centre – 2-year term
Connie Pauls, Décor Cabinets – 2-year term
Leah Olson, Morden Nurseries and Garden Centre – 2-year term
Agenda, budget, by-laws and sponsor information can be found here.