Chamber Committees and Volunteers
Get Involved in a Chamber Committee
Want to have your say, make a difference, and get involved? We are always looking for volunteers interested in strengthening Fredericton’s business community. The best way to do this is by joining one of the chamber’s many committees. Our committees are the primary mechanism that carries out the chamber’s various priorities and initiatives. They rely on volunteer members from all sectors bringing a breadth and depth of expertise and experience that gives each committee a well-rounded knowledge.
Each year, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce distributes our annual membership survey and the results of this survey are used to create a roadmap for the directions our members would like us to take.
Government Affairs Committee
Members of the GAC develop an annual set of recommendations for the provincial budget to present to the Minister of Finance, with the chairs of the committee joining the chamber executive in a face-to-face meeting with the minister. Our 2018-19 brief focused on competitiveness and the fiscal balance in NB. This document, along with previous years’ are available on our website. Working at all three levels of government, the committee also helps shape the chamber’s official position on political news and events and meets with government officials or other stakeholders on the issues of the day. The committee also provided advice on topics such as infrastructure priorities, cannabis and the election.
Immigration Advocacy Committee
Working with our members and community partners such as Ignite Fredericton, the Multicultural Association of NB, the City of Fredericton and others, the IAC helps to form the chamber’s position with issues related to immigration and population growth. The committee responds to immigration issues as they arise and proactively advocates to government for changes that will improve the immigration ecosystem locally and provincially.
Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee
Working with Horizon Health, the Department of Health and other stakeholders, the PRRC was formed to increase access to primary health care for our members and other citizens. The province’s no-physician registry, vacant billing numbers and difficulty attracting young physicians means less access to primary care, which creates difficulties for businesses to attract and retain the skilled people and outside investment we need to grow and sustain our economy. In 2018-19, the committee continued to coordinate and plan a series of business training seminars for local medical residents and maintains contact with residents throughout the year and provides general recruitment support such as tours, spousal employment and making connections to the business community.
Policy Development Committee
The Policy Development Committee, works closely with the Policy & Research Manager and the board of directors and serves four primary functions: (1) to articulate and consolidate the chamber’s policy positions that have been developed informally; (2) to produce new policy positions for the board of directors and the chamber’s advocacy committees to communicate to various levels of government; and (3) to produce nationally-focused policy resolutions for submission to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; and (4) to review policy resolutions submitted to the Canadian chamber by other chambers of commerce. In September 2018, the committee was able to pass two policy resolutions at the national chamber conference, one titled “Attracting and Retaining International Students Through Canadian Work Experience” was accepted by 100% % delegates and the other, titled “Accelerate the Twinning of Highway 185” was approved by 86%.
New Member Welcome Committee
With a large and growing membership, we want to ensure that our newest members feel welcome and are familiar with all of the benefits of belonging to the chamber. Working closely with the chamber’s Membership Development and Marketing Manager, volunteers for this committee will make personal visits and telephone calls to new members, greet member attendees at networking events, and provide guidance on how to take full advantage of their membership. This committee is accountable to the chamber’s Board of Directors and the committee co-chairs report monthly to the Board.
Communications and Marketing Committee
Keeping our 950+ members informed is one of our top priorities and with new technologies emerging, we are always working to improve how we communicate to the membership. Members of this committee advise us on how best to reach out members – via email, our website, social media, Insight magazine, as well as contribute to special projects as they arise. The committee also advises on the chamber’s marketing initiatives. This committee is accountable to the chamber’s Board of Directors and reports monthly to the Board.
Events and Networking Committee
The Events & Networking Committee is responsible for supporting the Event Manager with the calendar of events for the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. The committee uses ongoing communication with members, along with their own concerns, to provide timely sessions on topics that matter to our members.
Volunteering on an Ad Hoc Basis
From time–to-time the chamber requires volunteers for projects outside of the standing committees, which typically require less time commitment. We encourage members who cannot commit to a standing committee but are interested in being involved in some capacity to register for our “ad hoc” list. This option may also be appropriate for those members considering joining a committee at a future date. By registering for this list, you are under no obligation to agree to participate in any initiative for which you may be approached.