Change is in the winds at the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce, as the board is now looking to hire a new executive director.
The chamber is looking for a new executive to take over for David Brennan who is scheduled to retire at the end of December after 10 years of service.
The job posting asks for applicants with basics like a minimum of five years in business or non-profit management and office software skills, but chamber president Andrew Hopkins said Brennan leaves big shoes to fill.
"He's a long-standing executive. He's done a great job for us. He is retiring, much to our dismay, I guess you could say, because he's done such a good job, it's going to be hard to replace him. We're sad to see him go," Hopkins said. "Dave, over the 10-year period that he's been at the chamber, has grown the chamber to where it is today. We're up over 360 members. He has streamlined all the events so they run very smoothly. He has liaised with the city with all the grant applications."
Hopkins said Brennan's management skills "made life easier" for the rest of the chamber's board members who are all volunteers.
"And that's what we're looking for in the new executive. We're looking for someone that has experience with non-profits, preferably in the chamber environment, someone who can work well with a board of directors and have management skills that are able to work in a non-profit organization," he said.
Hopkins said applicants should also come ready to use the now omnipresent social media like Twitter and Facebook to promote the chamber and its events.
As for the vision of where the chamber is going in the coming years, Hopkins said the board's hiring committee is looking for someone who can take Brennan's legacy and build on it.
"We're happy with the way the chamber is run at this point," he said. "We're always looking for new ideas, as far as setting up the strategic plan that will work today as well as into the future - someone who can shape the direction we want the chamber to go in."
The job ad has been posted for about two weeks in local newspapers, Craigslist and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, and the response from applicants so far has been good. But, Hopkins said, those still wanting to apply can still send their resu-més in.
"We've actually got some very good candidates so far at this point, but we're still waiting for (the cut-off date), Nov. 21, to come around before we start really going through them," he said.
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