Help us welcome our new Chair of the Board
Historically, the May issue of Business Voice is when we proudly introduce our new Chair of the Board. This issue gives you a chance to get to know them better and what they’re hoping to accomplish in their time as Chair. This year, we are excited to welcome Cynthia Dorrington, President of Vale & Associates as our Chair of the Board, who will be supported by Margaret Chapman, Vice President of Corporate Research Associates Inc. as Vice Chair. For those of you who don’t know Cynthia, you can find out more about her in this issue — and learn that we are so happy to have her in this role. She has been on our Board of Directors for a number of years as a Board Member, Chair of HR and Governance — she is also finishing her term as Chair of the Black Business Initiative (BBI) as she heads into this leadership role as Chair of the Halifax Chamber.
Her year as Chair will include an extensive amount of planning and shifting. We’ve been working away at our 2013 – 2018 Strategic Plan and will be ready to launch our next plan later this year and I couldn’t think of a better person to lead the charge. Cynthia is a leader, she is an agent of change and she is capable. Launching a new Strategic Plan takes tenacity, dedication and hard work. Once the planning is done, the Chamber will need to shift our mindset from what we now do and begin to align with the new plan to reach our goals. We’re excited for the opportunity and I am sure Chamber members will be too.
While we are moving towards our new Strategic Plan, it might beg the question of whether it’s time to review your organization’s plan. Some questions we could all stand to ask ourselves include:
• Who are you as an organization?
• Do you have a purpose that aligns with what you’re focused on?
• Where do you see your organization in five years and will your current plan get you there?
It’s important to take the time to focus on the business to ensure effectiveness. It’s easy to get lost in the day to day busy work and lose sight of why you’re working so hard in the first place. Taking time to regroup and refocus keeps your organization relevant and lengthens your lifecycle. We understand your contribution to our city and we want you to be successful, regardless of what success looks like to your organization. We’re here to support you. And if you’re looking for more extensive assistance in strategy development, I encourage you to check out our member directory. You have peers within the Chamber membership that can help you get there. You don’t have to go it alone.
Once you’ve taken a look at your own strategy, I encourage you to look up for a few minutes and take the opportunity to meet Cynthia and the Chamber team at one of our Chamber events. I hope to see you there.
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