Chamber Committees

Much of the work done by the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is accomplished by committees – and strong committees make a strong Chamber. Committees provide a training ground that prepares members for leadership roles in the community. They also make it possible for the Chamber to extend its reach, and thereby, expand its work in the community.

Becoming an active committee member provides these benefits: the opportunity to share business knowledge and skills; develop new relationships; build business network; and develop leadership skills. Any member of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, in good standing, may join a committee.

THE 2011 BOARD COMMITTEES

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee focuses on the Chamber as a business, reviewing the performance of the organization and the Executive Director, monitoring demands placed on the organization, particularly those which lie outside Board approved directions for the organization, approving the business plan developed by the ED, and recommending to the Board significant alterations to the Strategic Plan. This committee controls the Chamber’s broad and specifically measurable goals, including financial ones, at a policy level. We then empower the ED to execute the plan with the help of her staff and with the assistance of a variety of committees. Those committees recommend but do not make policies.

Chair: John Treleaven

Members: Mark deMedeiros, Elaine Hughesman, Tim Flater, Doug Taylor, Joe Jansen, John Treleaven

Accountable for the Chamber to be:

Organized and professionally run.
Staffed to approved levels.
Professional and clear outbound communication.

Key Performance Indicators

Ensure goals of the strategic plan are met.
Implement annual performance appraisal for the ED

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee monitors the achievement of the financial goals, recommends better ways to track and monitor finances to ensure we are following good, prudent, financial practices. A review engagement would be a way to add credibility and certainty.

Chair: Elaine Hughesman

Members: Pat Fafard, Elaine Hughesman, Mark deMederios, Paul Hartigan, John Treleavan

To review the plans of membership and events committee.
Make recommendations on better ways to monitor financial results.
Ensure we are following good prudent financial management.

Key Performance Indicators

Review financial results on a monthly basis. Ensure a monthly reporting system is in place.
Review annual budget as prepared by the Executive Director – budget should be complete for presentation at the annual AGM.
Follow up system on recommendations from the various committees.

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee has a goal to achieve which is monetary. That monetary goal has to be established in the master plan and be relevant in terms of manpower to the other items on the master plan. The execution may be contained in the master plan or the committee could be charged with achieving goals by creating a plan that may include numerous tactics like raising fees, the value card idea, tiered membership, retention plans, new prospecting, geographic expansion, etc. This group is the single most important committee. Since the chair of that committee is also on the Executive Committee the lines of communication are clear and direct.

Chair: Ian Hennigar

Members: Doug Wedman, Mark deMedeiros, Ian Hennigar, Tim Flater

Membership to grow by demonstrating value to new and existing members.
Grow existing membership market areas.
Expand membership market area.
First choice for new business.

Key Performance Indicators

Number of new members each month.
Number of renewal each month.

Tourism Committee

The Tourism Committee is charged monitoring policy issues, recommending positions to the Board, and finding ways to make this unprofitable arena of Chamber activity profitable by creating better ways to manage the three centres including their structures, collecting revenue and working on Dave Cowan’s ideas for packaging synergies.

Chair: Dave Cowen

Members: Ian Henniger, Joe Jansen, Natalie King, Terry Stewart, Art Finlayson, John Treleaven, Angus Matthews, Dennis Paquette, Carol Whitehouse, David Roberts

Monitor the policy environment impacting on the industry and recommend to the Chamber appropriate policy and operational initiatives.
Ensure that the contribution of tourism businesses to the local economy is well understood by all three levels of government.
Develop a strategy to leverage tourism assets across the Peninsula to strengthen the More to Explore campaign.
Develop a plan to track cost, revenues and visits.
Ensure this area is profitable.
Develop a system to collect the revenue.
The Chair is the spokesperson for the Chamber on issues in this sector.

Key Performance Indicators

Growing numbers of clients for and revenue from the Tourist Information Centres we operate.
Long term commitment from the Town of Sidney for our involvement in their Information Centre.
Growing Chamber membership for the sector.
Monthly reporting on revenue vs. cost.
Monthly reporting on visits to the centres.
A system to report the visits to the members.

Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee monitors policy issues shaping the business environment on the peninsula and recommends policy and operational interventions to the Board. Focus is on ensuring a positive environment in all three communities to encourage the establishment and growth of businesses. Identification of issues and liaison with the three councils and more senior levels of government is one focus of the committees work. Building general awareness of the impact of business activity on the Peninsula is another.

Chair: Ian Brown

Members: Art Finlayson, Ian Brown, John Treleaven, Pat Fafard

Work with businesses on the Peninsula to maintain a rich agenda of current issues employers are facing and recommend action as appropriate with all three levels of government.
Ensure that all levels of government, but particularly the three municipalities we serve, understand and are sensitive to the needs of the private sector in establishing and growing businesses on the peninsula.
Ensure that the Chamber maintains a close and effective relationship with all levels of government, particularly with the three municipal governments.

Key Performance Indicators

The strategic plans of all three municipalities reflect the singular contribution of business to the local economy.
Effective programs of advocacy are established and implemented for issues accepted by the Chamber Board as critical to the success of, e.g., workplace housing, local taxation.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee is to work with the ED to prepare the Chamber for the CCC accreditation process.

Chair: Wendy Everson

Members: Kelvin Scheuer, John Treleaven, Wendy Everson, Doug Taylor

Review current policy and bylaws to ensure the Chamber is compliant with current practice.
Establish approach and time lines to achieve accreditation with distinction status in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce process.

Key Performance Indicators