The incoming Timmins Chamber president says the year ahead will "focus on the recovery and continuity of our business community."
This week, Melanie Verreault was handed the presidential gavel by outgoing president Val Venneri.
Verreault is taking over the reigns of the group amid COVID-19.
"While the pandemic presented many barriers to our businesses, it also presented silver linings. The Chamber has its work cut out as we look to reshape and re-envision the way we continue to support our local small- to medium-sized enterprises," she said.
In her role as president, she's anxious to start planning "new programs and services to continue providing critical support and mechanisms."
The coming year will be about business recovery and continuity.
"This will be accomplished by improving the way we bring value to our membes, more specifically investing in current relationships, creating better connections with our members, as well as broadening our reach within the business community. The Chamber plans to set the course to do more, do it better and to do it from the perspective of our members," said Verreault.
Over the past year, Venneri said The Chamber built momentum.
The organization marked its 70th anniversary and rebranded.
Representatives from the local group participated in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Annual General Meeting in New Brunswick, and delivered two policy resolutions.
The Chamberhood series was also launched. For it, they had eight neighbourhood meetings across the city for businesses to network and learn about each other's needs.
March saw the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"While the emergency orders certainly changed the way our current year was laid out, I am very proud of the big pivot The Chamber and the network made," said Venneri.
"At any given time, a chamber has their finger on the pulse of their members, knowing who needs help and who is set for a rainy day, but then came the tsunami. No business could have been prepared for the wave of financial distress that was going to come with the extended emergency measures."
Partnering with the city, The Chamber created the Business Continuity and Recovery Advisory Task Force.
The Business Continuity and Recovery Fund was also created and provides help to businesses in Timmins and Chapleau.
