Notes from the chamber president

Dave Butler talked about his year as president of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce

Dave Butler is the 2014 president of the Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce. — Marie Milner photo

Dave Butler is nearing the end of his term as president of the Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce, and we asked him a few questions about his position and his experience.

When does your term end?

The term for the president of the chamber is one calendar year, with agreement to remain on as a board member for one year. My term ends at the end of December. I think for most people who have full-time work, one year is enough, because the presidency does demand a significant time commitment.

What personal character trait has been valuable to you during your term?

The ability to build relationships is important, and good communication skills is part of that.

How does your role differ from that of the chamber's executive director?

In most non-profits, the president or chair of the board normally keeps the board organized, and the board gives strategic direction to the manager or chair of the organization. The board members are supposed to be looking at the big picture, keeping the best interests of the organization in mind and giving the chamber some specific strategic direction.

What has the board focused on during 2014?

There are three areas of focus: First, being more relevant to more businesses—increasing the number of our members and providing greater value to our members. In that area we offered a number of networking opportunities for local businesses so that they could meet, interact and do business. We also set up a wide range of professional development or business success workshops during Small Business Month in October.

Second, advocacy—making sure we take advantage of opportunities to advocate on behalf of businesses, like going to the City and talking about barriers to business or to the regional district and talking about home-based business in Area C. The third focus is making sure we are running the organization well.

Can you comment on your experience as president?

It’s been a really fun year. I’ve enjoyed getting to know more of the businesses and trying to provide value. I like the advocacy part of this, too, and we’ve had some success with that, like making the business application approval processes clearer.

It has been my honour to work with Karin Penner since I joined the Chamber Board in 2009. I have seen first-hand the degree to which she is respected and loved by her colleagues all across the province. Karin’s shoes are big shoes to fill.