Prince George, December 12, 2017 – The Prince George Chamber of Commerce is pleased with the province’s decision to proceed with the Site C Project; small and medium size businesses in Prince George and the region will benefit from the economic impact of this project moving forward.

“The Site C decision has huge economic implications for Northern British Columbia, and that definitely includes Prince George,” said Prince George Chamber President Corey Naphtali. “Along with the major construction contractors, there are many small and medium sized contractors and suppliers working on the project.”

Prince George, November 30, 2017 – The Northern Lights Estate Winery is now carbon neutral. This local craft-wine creator has embraced a new certification in order to reduce its total carbon emissions.  Northern Lights Estate Winery chose to purchase carbon credits to offset environmental impact of its operations.

Northern Lights Estate Winery recently volunteered to be part of CN’s Carbon Reduction Project for Business by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the University of Northern British Columbia. Carbon Management students and a Carbon Intern provided Northern Lights Estate Winery with a carbon footprint analyses, ideas to make operational changes and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower operational expenses and further information as to become carbon neutral.

Prince George, November 28, 2017 – The Prince George Chamber of Commerce will be searching for a new CEO in the coming months. Erika Ewacha, who joined the Chamber earlier in 2017, has resigned her position as CEO and will be moving on to new endeavors.

“We’d like to thank Erika for her service to the Chamber, and wish her nothing but success in her next venture,” said Prince George Chamber President Corey Naphtali. “The Chamber has a dedicated staff and Board of Directors that will continue to provide the best possible service to our members and to our community.”

Prince George, October 21, 2017 – The Prince George Chamber of Commerce hosted their 32^nd Annual Business Excellence Awards tonight at the Prince George Playhouse. The Business Excellence Awards is an annual event hosted by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce to celebrate excellence in ten traditional award categories as well as the Hell Yeah Prince George Ambassador award which involves an online public vote. The Business Excellence Awards takes place in October as part of the Small Business Month. This year, over 215 people attended the event.

Prince George, September 29, 2017 – The Prince George Chamber of Commerce recently joined Chambers from across the country at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM & Conference held in Fredericton New Brunswick Sept. 23 to 25, 2017.

The annual Conference provides the business community across Canada with the opportunity to discuss key issues affecting Chamber members. The Prince George Chamber joined the Canadian Chamber membership in passing a resolution opposing the proposed Federal tax changes for incorporated businesses. The resolution, entitled “Stop the Harmful Tax Changes on Private Corporations” is a key policy position that the Canadian Chamber will advocate to the Federal Government on behalf of its members.

Prince George, September 27, 2017 – Prince George businesses continue to benefit from working with University of Northern British Columbia students.  CN’s Carbon Reduction Project for Business, by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, heavily relies on these students to help local businesses become more environmentally sustainable.  The Chamber continues to enrich local business as this opportunity provides practical insight into the benefits of carbon footprint reduction.

Prince George, September 12, 2017– The Business Excellence Awards Nominees Luncheon, hosted by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, was held this afternoon at the Coast Inn of the North.  The top 4 nominees in each of the 11 award categories were revealed to an audience of more than 260 guests in attendance. New this year, luncheon attendees were given the opportunity to cast their votes for their business of choice, which was met with excitement. “There was excellent turnout and support from the business community,” said Prince George Chamber President, Corey Naphtali. “We look forward to seeing everyone at the Gala in October”.

Prince George, July 07, 2017 – The Board of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce has appointed Erika Ewacha as CEO and will assume the role of CEO effective July 10, 2017.

Corey Naphtali, President of the Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce that Erika has accepted the position.  “While there are some very large shoes to fill, I am confident that Erika will excel in the role and that while the selection process was onerous, I feel the Board has been able to add value to the Membership by extending the offer”.

Prince George, June 9, 2017 – The Prince George Chamber of Commerce is pleased to return from the BC Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting and delighted to announce three new advocacy wins for Prince George this year. According to Corey Naphtali, President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, “Leveraging the strength of the BC Chamber network is critical in ensuring our community’s advocacy needs are getting the attention they deserve”

Prince George, April 4, 2017 – After 4 years at the helm of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, CEO Christie Ray is stepping down. Ray shared the news with more than 50 members of the business community in attendance at tonight’s Annual General Meeting.

The newly elected Board of Directors will be tasked with selecting a replacement. Ray has given the board 3 months’ notice. “I wanted to give the Board ample time to find a replacement, and make the transition as seamless as possible,” says Ray. She told the crowd how proud she is of the Chamber’s hard-working staff and their many accomplishments in 2016, which included the first-ever BizRide program (in partnership with the City of Prince George), and Collaborations (a partnership with CNC and UNBC).

Newly elected President Corey Naphtali believes this is an important moment in time for the Chamber. 2016 saw a dip in membership numbers; he wants to change that. “The Chamber hosts over 40 events a year which provide the perfect venue for professionals to get to know each other, face-to-face, and to do business,” says Naphtali. As President, Naphtali intends to make innovation his focus. “We want to make sure businesses in Prince George stay on the cutting edge,” no matter their industry or size.

Naphtali is joined by many returning members on the Board, as well as the addition of new members Kyle Sampson of Pacific Western Brewing and Kallie Smith of the Prince George Aboriginal Business and Community Development Centre. The 2017-18 Board of Directors consists of the following:

Executive:

• President: Corey Naphtali, Partner, KPMG
• Vice-President of Finance: Lorna Wendling, Senior Manager, Deloitte
• Vice-President: Bill Quinn, President, NuStride Executive Coaching
• Vice-President: Frankie Albano, Senior Manager, TBJ LLP
• Past President: Cindi Pohl, Account Manager, Waste Management

Directors (new – 2 year term):

• Kallie Smith, Executive Director, Prince George Aboriginal Business and Community Development Centre
• Kiel Giddens, Community Relations Liaison, and Prince George Regional Office Lead, TransCanada Pipelines
• Kyle Sampson, Manager of Northern BC, Pacific Western Brewing Company
• Kara Biles, Manager of Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning (Human Resources), Canfor
• Roberta Stewart, Lawyer/Partner, Heather Sadler Jenkins LLP
• Ray Noonan, Senior Manager, Northern BC, Scotiabank (1 year term)

Directors (continuing):

• Laurie Dillman, Owner, Go Team Business & People Development
• Derek Dougherty, Assistant Vice President & Branch Manager, Canadian Western Bank
• Daniel Weeks, President & Vice-Chancellor, UNBC
• Paul Mercer, Commercial Account Manager, RBC

The Chamber’s next event is the Administrative Professionals’ Day Breakfast, coming up April 26 at Westwood Church. The Chamber offers a long list of benefits to members, from fuel savings to group insurance. For more details, contact:

Camille MacDonald, Communications Coordinator
C: 250-640-3663 | E: communications@pgchamber.bc.ca