38-Year-Old Attorney, Innovation Professional to Take Helm of 168-Year-Old Institution

Just over a month after the unexpected departure of David Adames, the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it has hired Keanin Loomis as its new President and CEO. He will be taking over from Interim President and CEO, Richard Koroscil, on June 3.

Loomis, 38, is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and The College of William & Mary School of Law in Williamsburg, VA. He practiced law at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP in Washington, DC before moving to Hamilton in September 2009.  He was instrumental in the founding of Innovation Factory, located at McMaster Innovation Park, and serves as its Chief Operating Officer.  He has been very active with the Chamber of Commerce, serving for the last three years on the Hamilton Economic Summit Advisory Committee and the last two years as the Chair of its Innovation and Technology Committee.

“Keanin brings to the table a range of experiences and a great knowledge of the Chamber’s operations and membership.  He has forged a broad network and is highly respected in the city.  We were most impressed with his deep understanding of everything that is going on in the community,” said Louise Dompierre, Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors and President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.  “Additionally, because of his energy and vision, we also get an individual who will continue to provide dynamic leadership on behalf of Hamilton’s business community.”

“I am truly humbled by the Board’s confidence and am privileged to lead this distinguished institution at this very moment, when Hamilton’s future has never been brighter,” commented Loomis. “David is a good friend of mine and had the organization heading in an exciting direction.  I look forward to working with all the Chamber’s members and stakeholders to pick up where he left off and continue to lead this organization as a pillar in this great community.”

Richard Koroscil the Chambers Interim President said “I am delighted to be handing over the reins of the Chamber leadership to Keanin, he will bring a new energy and innovative thinking to the Chamber and to our community.  He has and will continue to be a strong community builder in this new role.

Loomis will be playing a role in next week’s Hamilton Economic Summit, moderating a panel of young professionals talking about innovation and the art of the possible.  The event is happening on May 9th at the Careport Centre at McMaster Innovation Park.  More information on the summit can be found at hamiltoneconomicsummit.ca.
 

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce presents its position on Funding Tools for “The Big Move”

May 1, 2013 – Hamilton, ON - The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has taken the position that the regional transportation infrastructure investments of The Big Move, which include and LRT in Hamilton, are key to the future growth and prosperity of our economy.

Recognizing that the province of Ontario is currently faced with a $300 billion debt and a $10 billion deficit, it is necessary to discover new ways to fund the infrastructure costs.  Of the $50 billion required for The Big Move plan, $16 billion has been funded by all three levels of government; the remaining $34 billion will require $2 billion dollars in new revenue on an annual basis.

To that end, the Hamilton Chamber has joined with other Chambers around the region, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and boards of trade across the region in facilitating the conversation regarding funding. Over the past months we have facilitated consultation sessions between our community, our Chamber members and Metrolinx. Metrolinx will be submitting their recommendations for funding tools to the province later this month.

Four basic principles were identified as crucially important. These principles are; that the new funding is dedicated to new infrastructure projects; that the process is transparent; that the regions receive their fair share of the infrastructure; and that the direct beneficiaries are asked to contribute (User Pay Principle).

 As a result the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is recommending to Metrolinx and the Government of Ontario the following funding tools for The Big Move:

High Potential
Sales Tax
Fuel Tax
Parking Space Levy

Medium Potential
Development Charges
Land Value Capture
Vehicle Kilometers Travelled (VKT) Fee
Highway Tolls

Details on the individual funding tools can be found on http://www.bigmove.ca/shortlist and the Chamber’s Big Move Funding Tools Policy Position.

 

Friday night,  three awards were presented at the Beverly Golf & Country Club to honour excellence and achievement in the community. Keynote Speaker was George Chuvalo, former Canadian Boxing Champion.  The Dundas division of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce congratulates the following individuals:

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank):  Tom Bontje

Tom Bontje, a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient, has positively impacted the lives within 73 agencies and 222,000 individuals through his commitment to United Way, Dundas Valley School of Art, Dundas Historical Museum and the Dundas Arts Community Foundation.  He was instrumental in getting government funding to support those community arts organization in Dundas.  Tom has also been involved with Big Brothers and the Cancer Society along with coaching basketball and acting as a liaison in the St. Mary’s High School Rowing Team.

YOUTH VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by Dundas Valley Collision Centre): Sydney Stenekes

Sydney Stenekes has a reputation of being one of the most capable and dependable students in Parkside High School.  She is head of the Parkside Ambassadors that greet visitors to the school during special events.  She is a member of Me to We and helped organize their Halloween for Hunger event.  She is a member of the Healthy Action Team which staged a campaign to promote positive mental health.  Sydney also volunteers during the Parents Night Out program at Rock Chapel United Church entertaining a large group of children while their parents get the night off.    Her above 90% average at school also shows she can successfully merge academia and volunteerism.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:  The Village Bakery

The Village Bakery is a full service, from scratch, just like mom used to make bakery.  Every product, created on site, from old family recipes.  They have a small seating area for light lunch and is a great place for the community to meet and relax.  Customer Service is paramount and keeps their customers loyal...in fact they have received a Tourism Award for it.  The community of Dundas wanted this business so much that when a devasting fire put the bakery out of commission, they raised the funds to assist them to re-open.