by admin | Nov 7, 2019 | Chamber News
The Burlington Chamber of Commerce has eleven members on its Board of Directors. Each year at least one vacancy is created when the Past Chair retires. It is the role of the Chamber’s Nominating Committee to fill any vacancies. The Nominating Committee will soon be developing a list of potential candidates for next year’s Chamber Board of Directors.
To be considered for this governance Board, your company must be a member in good standing of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and you must be a voting representative for your company. Preference is given to those persons who have an active knowledge of the Chamber through a Committee, or who have a skill set required by the Board.
The term of office is one year with an expectation that each Director will serve a minimum of two years. There is an important commitment to attend all Board meetings. The Board meets monthly (except July and August) on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 8:00 am until 10:00 am. In addition, Board members may be involved with a Chamber Committee and attend those monthly Committee meetings. Board members also represent the Chamber at various events. Click here for a position description.
To express interest please complete the application form and email it to info@burlingtonchamber.com by no later than November 22, 2019.
Carla Y. Nell
President & CEO
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
by admin | Sep 16, 2019 | Chamber News
On September 12, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released a new report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies. The report outlines how government of all levels can work with industry to unleash the potential of Ontario’s regional economies and reinforce the competitiveness of the province as a whole.
“We are
only as strong as our weakest link and our ability to prosper depends on the
strength of our different regions. Economic and population growth rates in the
Greater Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa have far surpassed those in other areas of the
province,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of
Commerce. “Our communities – and the province as a whole – risk falling behind
if we do not leverage the rich and diverse competitive advantages of our local
economies.”
The Great
Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies examines the opportunities and
challenges faced by different communities across the province and offers a
framework for thinking about the present and future of Ontario’s regional
economies.
“We urge
policymakers to take a modern and comprehensive approach to economic
development by leveraging the existing competitiveness advantages of Ontario’s
regions, and implement deliberate strategies to support long-term growth in
communities across the province,” added Rossi.
The OCC’s
report makes 17 recommendations to strengthen the well-being of Ontario’s
regions. Key takeaways include:
- The most cost-effective way to drive economic
development is to cultivate talent, trade, and infrastructure. Governments
should make it a priority to upgrade transportation and energy networks,
modernize their regulations and business supports, offer dynamic education and
training opportunities, and encourage labour mobility.
- Building regional capacity for innovation is
fundamental to productivity and growth. This means improving commercialization
and technology adoption, strengthening regional innovation centres, expanding
broadband internet access, and facilitating cluster development.
- Modern governance of economic development should
empower a wide range of stakeholders including
businesses, post-secondary institutions, and not-for-profit organizations outside government. Regional
collaboration, economic reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and the use of
data are all critical to mobilizing local assets.
“In the face of technological transformation and globalization, there is no question that Ontario has what it takes to succeed. We are optimistic that the province can successfully navigate the modern economy if we work together to unlock the economic potential of our communities,” says Burlington Chamber President & CEO Carla Y. Nell.
Read the OCC’s report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving
Ontario’s Regional Economies here.
Read the OCC’s full list of recommendations here.
by admin | Sep 10, 2019 | Chamber News
Each year the Ontario Economic Report (OER) presents the collective voice of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s (OCC) membership through the Business Confidence Survey, the Business Prosperity Index and the Economic Outlook. The report provides a snapshot of the past year and a look at the year ahead.
This year, the OER focuses on building economic opportunity for Ontario and is aimed at shaping and informing future public policy. In 2019, the OCC will be engaging its members, government and other leaders to explore the issues outlined in the OER and develop the necessary solutions to drive forward a stronger Ontario.
Read the report.
by admin | Jul 12, 2019 | Chamber News
The Burlington Chamber Of Commerce is pleased to announce that Carla Y. Nell has been appointed as the organization‘s new President & CEO effective July 22, 2019. Ms. Nell is replacing Keith Hoey who announced his retirement in January.
“Interest in the CEO position was very high; we received almost 100 applications for the role,” said Tom Flannery, Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. “We were fortunate to have several exceptional candidates to select from, but in the end, Carla was uniquely qualified and the unanimous choice of our search committee. I am pleased to welcome her to the Burlington Chamber and am confident she will play a key role in successfully delivering value to our members.”
Ms. Nell brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in both the private and public sectors to her new role at the Burlington Chamber. Her wealth of experience, skills and insights will be of significant value to the Chamber community.
Recently, she served as the Vice-President, Municipal and Stakeholder Relations at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Throughout her career she has also gained extensive experience as principal of a professional services consulting firm, has served as a trusted strategic advisor on complex issues to a diverse range of clients, stakeholders and organizations, and was previously a part-time professor at Seneca College in the Faculty of Business. She holds numerous degrees and professional designations and is a sought-after contributor and speaker by associations serving both the private and public sectors with provincial, national and international profile. Carla is a highly regarded thought leader whose commitment to customers and partnerships is a signature of her leadership.
“I am delighted to be taking on this important leadership role with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce,” said Ms. Nell. “I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, the membership and other community partners in this capacity to continue the Chamber’s strong legacy of bringing life to business in Burlington.”
by admin | Jun 26, 2019 | Chamber News
The Burlington Chamber of Commerce has announced that Joel Ippolito, CEO of Ippolito Group, will receive Burlington’s 2019 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award.
Joel Ippolito was chosen as the award recipient to recognize his leadership role in building a successful, high-profile company that positively represents Burlington both locally and regionally. He reflects entrepreneurship through his company and through his philanthropic endeavours giving back to the community through the Ippolito Group. Mr. Ippolito took over a leadership role in the family business more than two decades ago and has led the organization through remarkable international growth.
Ippolito was notified of the award earlier this month. “I was completely shocked when they told me,” said Ippolito. “I’m very honored to be recognized for this award and I owe this honour to the hard work and dedication of everyone in our organization. I’m proud of all we have done in Burlington and for the tremendous support we have received from the community.”
This is the sixth time the Chamber of Commerce has accorded the honour to local entrepreneurs and the fourteenth time a great Burlington businessperson has been recognized. In previous years the award was called the Entrepreneur of the Year award. The change to Distinguished Entrepreneur is more reflective of the lifetime achievements of the award recipient, according to Keith Hoey, President & CEO of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. “We’re extremely pleased to be honouring Mr. Ippolito with this very prestigious award and we’re looking forward to presenting him with the award at a special dinner this fall,” said Hoey. “The Distinguished Entrepreneur Dinner has a great tradition of recognizing and honouring great Burlington business leaders and it’s important that we acknowledge and thank these people for their contributions to our city.”
