CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS MESSAGE

Krista Ross - Chief Executive Officer

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is the Voice of Business in the Fredericton Community. With more than 900 members, we are the 2nd largest Chamber in Atlantic Canada. Our priorities for our members are in three main areas which are: advocacy, networking and events, and tangible benefits.

First of all, as an advocate for business, we work closely with all 3 levels of government on issues that affect business. Such things as Government Renewal, Red Tape Reduction, Physician Recruitment, Public Sector Pension Reform and Local Governance are firmly on our radar. Each year, we make presentations to both the provincial and municipal governments. We engage in the budgeting process and we champion business needs and issues during election campaigns. The Chamber’s Advocacy committees include Provincial Government Affairs, Municipal Government Affairs, Economic Development and the President’s Committee on Physician Recruitment. As well, as other issues affecting business arise throughout the year, ad hoc committees and task forces are established to address them.

Secondly, we provide many networking and educational events for our membership. With more than 50 events each year, there is certainly something for everyone. We aim to be the connector of choice for our membership. We know how important it is to be networked within the community. Our events range from education and training sessions both large and small, like Business After Hours networking, our ever popular Annual Golf Tournament and our largest event - the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce State of the Province Address, which sells out annually and attracts more than 800 business and industry leaders as well as government officials each year.

Our third priority area is providing tangible benefits, or ROI, to Chamber members. We have a tremendous number of valuable benefits that can be accessed through the Chamber, such as a group insurance plan, Credit & Debit Card merchant discount rates, and our popular Member to Member Discount program. Many small businesses can’t access programs of this nature except through a group like the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

In our 2011 Membership Survey, 98% of our members told us that they were Satisfied with the value they received for their investment in the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. We are absolutely thrilled with this number... and we want to work hard to keep it! If there are ideas that you have to improve our service offerings, our advocacy, or our networking & educational opportunities – let us know! The Chamber team is made up of our 7 staff, 7 Executive Members and 12 Board Members. Contact any one of us to discuss your ideas or suggestions - we want to hear from you! And... if you like what we are offering... let other businesses know! We appreciate your membership and we appreciate your referrals as well.

Wishing you the best of continued success in your business.


Krista Ross,
CEO