While welcoming town representatives to the W.E. Cormack Institute, Sylvia Alexander expressed her pleasure with the gender balance on the new Stephenville Economic Development Committee during its launch.
The chairperson of the W.E. Cormack Development Centre said at the launch on Wednesday she hopes the centre can play a major role in some of the projects ahead.
Alexander said there are five expert business counsellors working in the building who are ready and willing to assist with everything from proposal writing to business development, so there is really no need to hire someone else.
At the launch Coun. Mark Felix, the committee’s new chairperson, provided an overview of the mandate, structure and process for the committee for the next several years.
In a prepared release, he said the mandate of the committee “is to create the environment for successful economic, business and social development through collaborative partnerships.”
The structure is comprised of a 12-member committee that is diverse and gender balanced.
Members to the committee will be nominated and council’s human resources committee will review all resumes and recommend to council the 12 board members, who will serve a two-year term of office.
Felix indicated Stephenville’s budget 2018 allowed for 10 per cent of the collected business tax to be re-invested directly into the town’s future business development through collaborate partnerships.
Approximately $150,000 will be used to hire professional staff and consultants where necessary to move the work of the economic development committee forward in partnership with community organizations.
It is anticipated that the committee will be selected and in place by March of 2018.
Alexander said the W.E. Cormack Institute is the true definition of collaboration. She said a recent analysis of the inter agencies contribution to Long Range region revealed more than $70 million dollars has gone into the economy since our inception.
Economic Development Committee Structure:
Voting members
Chair and co-chair from Stephenville Town Council
One youth
One aboriginal
Two business community members
One Bay St. George Chamber of Commerce
One Stephenville Airport Corporation
One Downtown Improvement Committee
One W.E. Cormack Entrepreneurial Institute
One Community Education Network
One Bay St. George Community Employment Corporation
Non-voting members
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation
Long Range Community Business Development Corporation
Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
Qalipu Economic Development Officer
Source: Stephenville Economic Development Committee
