People, versatility, problem-solving and advocating.
Those are the things Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce executive director Claudia Blair loves about her job.
“So many great people have come through our door,” Blair said of the 31 years she has worked for the chamber. “It always amazes me the amount of work volunteers are willing to give on the board. I have seen really good members come and go.”
Take Roger Solly as a prime example, she noted.
“He is going to be 75 years old this May and has been on the board so many times. Today he is a board member and still on two committees. He is always really helpful.”
Past president and music teacher Angela Sommers brought a different perspective to the board with her arts background, Blair said.
Mayor Walt Cobb, having been an MLA and a mayor, brought a lot to the board too. It’s such a diversity of people that we have the privilege to work with,” noting with a new executive voted in every year she ends up having a new boss each time.
The Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce is one of only 13 accredited chambers in Canada.
“We worked hard as a team to achieve that,” Blair said. “We wanted to do things as accurately as we could so we were in line with chambers in Ottawa, Calgary or Regina.”
Holding up a thick book, Blair said it is filled with the BC Chamber of Commerce’s polices and positions on provincial and federal issues compiled with input from the province’s chambers.
Each spring at the BC Chamber’s annual general meeting, members meet about the policies.
The BC Chamber president presents them to the Premier and takes the federal concerns to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce president to share with the Prime Minister.
“These policies guide and save you and stop people from having to re-invent the wheel.”
Solly, with his accounting experience, helped develop a Canada Revenue Agency registered disability savings plan for policy for the BC Chamber around disability pensions because of his financial experience.
Focusing on policies has taken chambers to another tier, Blair said.
Describing the chamber as “family,” Blair said she always wishes she could spend more time with chamber members one-on-one.
“I am always excited when I walk into a business and see changes the owners have made. People have such great ideas.”