| Linda
Ford officially took over from Wayne Waters (Waters
& McDonald Associates), now the Immediate Past President,
on July 1, and will serve for a one year term as President
until June 30, 2008.
As the new President of Brampton’s leading business
association, Linda brings a wealth of business knowledge
and experience, and extensive community leadership,
to this important role representing local business.
Ford has been a resident in the Brampton area for 40
years, developing a strong business career, particularly
in the employment services field. In 2000, she co-founded
Access Career Solutions Inc., a very successful full-service
human resources services firm, located at 2 County Court
Blvd., Suite 302.
Linda has been a very active member of The Brampton
Board of Trade since starting her own company, first
joining the organization’s Governing Council in 2001,
and participating on numerous Board committees, including:
Policy & Government Relations; Business Development;
and Youth & Business. On the Board of Trade’s Executive
Committee, she has held positions as Director at Large
and President Elect & VP of Membership for the past
three years.
Over The Brampton Board of Trade’s 120 year history,
Linda Ford will serve as its third female President,
with prominent Brampton business women Maria Britto
(Re/Max Realty Specialists Inc.) and Heather Picken
(Lawrences LLP) having held the position previously.
In addition to contributing to the Board of Trade,
Linda has been Vice-Chair of the Brampton Outstanding
Business Achievement Awards Committee, an Ambassador
in the City of Brampton’s Ambassador Program, Immediate
Past President of (BPW Brampton) Business and Professional
Women’s Association, and volunteer in support of Brampton
Safe City Association, the Brampton & Area Community
Foundation and Sheridan College. She has also been a
long standing member of the Human Resources Professional
Association of Ontario and the HRPAP (Peel) Chapter.
Participating within the Brampton community has been
a passion for Linda. She believes that it is very important
to actively work towards building a positive social
and economic environment that is going to contribute
to the overall success of her businesses and the enrichment
of the city where she works.
Linda Ford attributes her professional and business
success to strong commitment to customer service that
she believes is also integral to the ongoing success
of The Brampton Board of Trade. “As a membership-based
organization, The Brampton Board of Trade must continue
to be responsive to the needs of its members, to strive
to continually identify and inform the interests of
business, and to advocate effectively to help businesses
prosper,” says Ford. “The strength of our organization
and our voice for business comes from the support of
an increasing number of businesses. Any one operating
or doing business in Brampton, that have management
and employees living here, should be a member of The
Brampton Board of Trade, and support us in supporting
their business.”
Linda looks forward to the year ahead with great optimism.
“We have ambitious plans, and a dedicated and enthusiastic
group of volunteers and staff that are committed to
strengthening our association, its programs and services,
and advocacy,” says Ford. “The Brampton Board of Trade
is a highly respected organization with a long established
history of leadership that I am extremely proud to be
serving as its President.”
Media Contact:
Sheldon Leiba
Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (905) 451-1122
Fax: (905) 450-0295
Email: sleiba@bramptonbot.com
Sheridan sponsors annual event
Blind athlete inspires
“Youth and Business”
Craig MacFarlane is a former competitive wrestler and
the 1983 winner of the national blind Downhill Skiing
Medal. MacFarlane also excels at water skiing, golf,
track and field, horseback riding and ice skating; yet,
he would trade every one of his 103 gold medals to see
his parents’ faces.
Craig was keynote speaker at The Brampton Board of
Trade’s 9th Annual Youth and Business Luncheon last
month.
Blind since two, Craig has succeeded in making his
other senses do the work of his eyes. His extraordinary
accomplishments have earned Macfarlane the respect of
former President George Bush, auto racer Mario Andretti
and many other individuals. And today he inspires thousands
of people during his speaking engagements across Canada,
Great Britain and the United States as the goodwill
ambassador for the Edward Jones Investments Company.
Mark Parrish, local Edward Jones Advisor, and the person
responsible for Craig’s visit to Brampton said “we inspired
young children when we visited Father Michael McGivney
Elementary School, we inspired local business owners
at the Board of Trade After Business event, where the
BBOT had a ceremony to give the New Brampton Civic Hospital
a commitment of funds to support it in opening its doors
later this year.”
Craig’s visit ended following his speech to the 9th
Annual Youth and Business Luncheon held at Sheridan
College, Davis Campus. During this event Craig spoke
to students that represented more than 10 local High
Schools and in excess of 20 professional members of
the Board of Trade, one of which was sitting at each
table with the students. The thrust of MacFarlane’s
speech is that people can overcome adversity by not
giving up on their goals. “Without perseverance and
an intense desire to succeed, I wouldn’t be where I
am today,” Macfarlane said. “Believe in yourself and
your dreams, and you can see them become reality.”
MacFarlane has been visiting Edward Jones communities
across North America, and Parrish said he is proud to
have Craig visit Brampton. “Craig’s words are an inspiration
for people of all ages,” Parrish added. “He is certainly
a role model.”
The BBOT’s 9th annual Youth & Business Luncheon
was sponsored by Sheridan College Institute of Technology
& Advanced Learning. Other sponsors include Edward
Jones, The Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA)
and TD Commercial Banking.
Nancy Gayad, pictured, received the Brampton Board
of Trade Business Scholarship President’s Award of Excellence.
Twenty three businesses participated, mentoring to
students from nine Brampton secondary schools.
Participating businesses included Access Careers Solutions
Inc., Allain & Associates. Bank of Montreal , Bowman
Training Initiatives, Brampton Business Executive Suites,
Brampton Board of Trade, Brampton Library, Cairngorm,
Coldwell Banker Commercial Innovators Realty, Collex
Collision Experts, Community Connections, Edward Jones
Investments, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Interface
Financial Group, IT Management Alliance, Kolor Solutions
Peel Regional Police, Rutman & Rutman Professional
Corporation, Salon Spa One Eleven, Sheridan College
Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, Scotia
McLeod and Waters & McDonald Associates.
Participating schools included Brampton Centennial
S.S., Cardinal Leger S.S, Central Peel S.S., Fletchers
Meadow S.S., Mayfield S.S., Notre Dame C.S.S., Robert
F. Hall C.S.S , St. Marguerite d’Youville and Turner
Fenton S.S.
POLICY PRIORITIES
SURVEY REPORT
Click
here to download the report
Transportation infrastructure, traffic gridlock and
growth management are of vital importance to Brampton
Board of Trade (BBOT) members, according to a survey
of key policy issues that most concern the business
community.
Related to growth management, is a strong desire to
see local political decision makers preserve employment
lands, attract more business, develop jobs, and rein
in residential development.
The BBOT’s Policy & Government Relations Committee
initiated a Policy Priorities survey to poll BBOT members
on key policy issues of concern. The survey was delivered
electronically to BBOT members in November and the findings
are based on the responses of 94 business leaders, representing
member businesses and organizations of various sizes
and sectors.
The survey was comprised of a combination of 10 open
and close-ended questions, and respondents had an opportunity
to provide additional comments. The full survey report
is available online at www.bramptonbot.com
The report says transportation, traffic gridlock and
growth management are the issues most likely to affect
economic development and quality of life in Brampton.
Employers also raised concerns about a looming shortage
of skilled labour and the need to better capitalize
on the growing pool of skilled immigrants that are settling
in Brampton. Editor’s Note: See Page 3 for related story
on The Brampton Board of Trade’s Skills Without Borders
project, which explores labour needs in North Peel and
Barriers to Hiring Skilled Immigrants.
The Policy & Government Relations Committee, recently
renamed from Public Affairs Committee to reflect the
broad-based nature of the work performed, asked members
to help it focus on the top local/municipal issues.
Transportation infrastructure was identified by 76%
of respondents as a “top five” priority, followed by
crime/safety (58%), growth management (54%), government
accountability (53%) and property taxes (48%).
48% of respondents also identified the redevelopment
of the Peel Memorial Hospital as a much-needed second
health care facility in a large and growing city as
a “top five”. And 46% said downtown redevelopment should
be a priority to create an attractive and vibrant economic
and community centre.
Preservation of Employment Lands and Economic Development,
including lack of commercial/industrial space, attracting
large business to Brampton were also high priorities
for business leaders.
The survey also asked respondents to rank the top five
provincial and federal issues.
Health Care, education, transportation, taxation and
government accountability were ranked as the top provincial
issues. Government accountability, taxation, health
care, the fiscal imbalance between Ontario and the Federal
Government and the environment were identified as the
top five federal issues.
Overall, business believes that government should and
must do more to support business development and be
less of an impediment through its policies, regulations
and actions/inactions.
When specifically asked to list any “unique policy
areas or issues,” where The Brampton Board of Trade
could be a leader, respondents answered:
• Transportation/Traffic Gridlock
• Growth Management
• Taxes/Taxation (personal and business)
• Employment Integration of Immigrants
• Preservation of Employment Lands
• Brampton Downtown Development and Revitalization
• Health/Hospital Care
Of the respondents, 99% strongly agreed or agreed that
policy advocacy is “a very important function” of The
Brampton Board of Trade. And 77% indicated that they
were well aware of The Brampton Board of Trade’s involvement
in the area of policy advocacy.
“We’re pleased that our members believe that policy
advocacy is a key function of the Board of Trade and
that a significant majority are aware of the work we
have done on their behalf,” says Sheldon Leiba, CEO
of The Brampton Board of Trade. “This focus is entrenched
in our Mission and Strategic Plan.”
“The Policy Priorities Survey results will be extremely
useful to our Policy & Government Relations Committee
as they develop priorities for our business advocacy
work. We also want to keep an open dialogue with members
so that we can continue to be their voice with government
and other agencies,” Leiba said.
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