NEWS RELEASE
SAULT STE. MARIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
************************* New Chamber executive takes oath of office
Bill Shepherd sworn in as new Chamber of Commerce president
SAULT STE. MARIE, ON - Bill Shepherd [shown] took his oath of office as president of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce on Monday afternoon before Mayor John Rowswell in council chambers.
Joining Shepherd was new first vice-president, Katherine MacRae; treasurer, Sergio Saccucci; and Chamber of Commerce general manager, Shelley Barich.
Shepherd officially began his term as Chamber president on July 1, 2007, and will serve in this capacity until June 30, 2008.
He takes over from Robert J. Dumanski.
Dumanski, who is a partner in the law firm Bisceglia & Dumanski LLP, will continue in an official capacity with the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce as immediate past president.
Shepherd has been actively involved with the Chamber for three years, serving two years on its board of directors.
Additionally, he has served on the Chamber's Membership Development and Retention Committee and Government Relations Committee.
He has chaired both the Great Events Committee and the Communications and Public Relations Committee during his time as a director.
A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Shepherd is a graduate of Michigan Technological University with a Bachelor and Master of Science - Civil Engineering.
He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Youngstown State University.
A professional engineer by trade, Shepherd's experience branches through a variety of sectors including steel, commercial printing and property development.
He relocated back to Sault Ste. Marie in 1999 and opened Bruce Street Storage in 2002.
Shepherd has been active in the community since his return, serving on the Mayor's Multi-model committee and as a board member of the Canadian Italian Business Professional Association.
Shepherd notes that he assumes the role of Chamber president, optimistic of the opportunities that lay ahead for the Sault.
"As a community, the job market has improved significantly in recent years. Our unemployment rate is now on par with, and in some cases lower than, other parts of the province. As a result, we're now starting to see significant interest from outside businesses and services, which in turn are going to provide an even greater selection of services and opportunities for people and businesses in our community. Some significant new projects have been completed such as the Steelback Centre, and new ones like the new hospital are going to start shortly."
From an operational perspective, he notes that one of his goals during his tenure as Chamber president is to continue investing in, and building on, the infrastructure that the Chamber has put in place in order to ensure its long-term feasibility.
Shepherd notes that the Chamber's voice in the community is an important one because its membership directly represents more than 900 employers locally.
By building on recent successes such as the revamped Home and Outdoor Show, the Chamber can ensure that it continues to provide quality services and advocacy on behalf of both business and the community.
MacRae, who is assuming the role of first vice president, is the owner of SuccessBiz.
Saccucci, who is serving his sixth year as the Chamber's treasurer, is a commercial account manager for CIBC locally.
The Chamber of Commerce is the recognized voice of business committed to the enhancement of economic prosperity in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Chamber is 900-plus members strong and has been serving the needs of this community since 1889.
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