At the Annual Meeting of the Chamber today, Corine Price was recognized for her five years on staff at the Chamber of Commerce. Corine has been involved in almost all aspects of the organization and is appreciated for her willingness to assist wherever needed. Corine contributes to the over all decision making with enthusiasm and thoughtful consideration and her creative talents are used to produce the e-newsletter each week.
vice-president, Michael Holden. Other members of the board include past president, Kevin Lundell, Wendy Plandowski, Chris Parsons, Linda Rutley, Marlene Fithen, Angela Rooks, Rob Saunders and Dabir Naqvi. The board meets monthly and governs the organization by providing a strategic framework within which the staff carry out the operational functions towards the goals of the Chamber.
Amanda Mazzei from the firm of Wilkinson Livingston Stevens presented the annual financial statements at the AGM. The Chamber finished the year in a solid financial position. The Chamber board thanked the membership and corportate members for their tremendous support of the Chamber. 45% of the Chamber revenue is provided by membership with 28% raised through management contracts such as the Travel Alberta Centre, Streetscapes Co. and the management of the Community Services Centre. 27% comes from fundraising and Afinity Programs. 
Amanda Mazzei with assistance from board member Marlene Fithen draw the name of the winner of $1,000. from the names entered into the draw from all the nominees for the the Gold Star Service with a Smile award whose employers were members of the Chamber in 2011. The lucky winner was Myrna Jalbert from Radiology Consultants Associated. Congratulations to Myran and to all of the nominees who received recognition for providing exceptional customer service during 2011.
The small chamber that I joined 15 years ago is not so small anymore. Working with a knowledgeable and supportive board and skilled and loyal staff makes my job very enjoyable. I have been blessed to hang out with this Chamber team this past year. If you are a Chamber member you can rest assured that this Chamber is one of the strongest in the country due in large part to the boards that have striven to do what is best for our business community. Every major decision that is made is carefully talked about and thought through with an eye to the future. I look forward to working with our new president, Leana and with our new and returning board members and of course with our steller staff. For a look at the Annual Report check out the Chamber website later this week.
Till next time,
Pat
