ATHABASCA – The Athabasca Chamber of Commerce is looking for a new executive after it failed to elect a new president at its Feb. 5 annual general meeting (AGM).
Outgoing president Rick Baksza said the meeting, which drew 25 people to the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, hit a snag when no one put their name forward for the role of president, suspending the rest of the board elections.
“The reality is that this town needs new blood; we need new engagement,” said Baksza, who had served two year-long terms as president and been a board member for a decade.
“We need the town to understand what the chamber brings to the table and what’s going to happen if there’s no chamber.”
The chamber is responsible for many of Athabasca’s signature events, including the Canada Day and Christmas parades, the Moonlight Madness activities, the Summer Carnival, and, in election years such as this one, candidate forums.
Baksza made it clear that the chamber wasn’t dead — he’ll remain as the signing authority for the organization, and the executive assistant remains in place — but the clock is ticking on getting a new face into the lead role.
“We’re still working on getting the details from the Alberta and Canadian chambers, but the way we understand it is that we have a year to sort it out, and then after a year, the money that we have collected would be returned to the membership,” he said.
Baksza sent out a letter to the 85 businesses that make up the Athabasca Chamber, highlighting the urgency of the situation, and calling for businesses to step up.
“Many people ask, “What has the chamber done for me?’ but the real question is, “What have we done to support the chamber?’” wrote Baksza.
“A strong Chamber means a strong business community. Our small businesses and home-based entrepreneurs are the heart and soul of Athabasca, while our major industries—Al-Pac, AU, our Town and County—are the framework that supports us.”
Currently, the chamber has 11 executive positions to fill, although Baksza said they’re working to reduce the total number to help encourage people to take on the challenge. Many of the existing board members have been in place for years, and he said burnout has started to set in.
“My own engagement over the last two years has been in-depth, and I don’t have the capacity to provide that level going forward,” said Baksza.
“We need to find more engagement from the small and the larger businesses, like the Al-Pac’s and the Lincoln County’s and the TC Energy’s to be on board. But we also need the coffee shops and the barbers and the lawyers to be engaged.”
The chamber concluded its letter with a call to the public, asking for community leaders, volunteers and supporters to step forward and carry the torch.
“This is not the end of the Athabasca & District Chamber of Commerce—it is a wake-up call. The future of our Chamber is in your hands,” reads the final sentence of the letter.
Interested parties can contact the chamber by email at [email protected].
