The new CEO of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce said he's up to the task of helping local businesses weather the COVID-19 storm.
Allan Calvert was officially welcomed to the role during a virtual Zoom news conference Monday morning. He takes over for Shirley de Silva who left the chamber in March.
Calvert said the chamber's vision is to assist the business community through the pandemic.
"This pandemic is one of the most incredible, adaptive learning experiences whereby no textbook exists. There is no playbook for this," said Calvert. "We're going to weather this storm collectively and rise on the other side of this. Our efforts are to improve the ease of doing business, whatever your needs are. This is a mammoth task -- your chamber and I are up for it."
Calvert said many businesses are adjusting to the new normal, using a Sarnia taekwondo studio that's offering training and lessons online as an example.
Calvert also spoke to the need of increasing membership across the chamber, which is currently at around 650 members.
"Our best ambassadors for the chamber of commerce are typically our own membership, and I'm going to lean on them to put the good word out. We're only as strong as our numbers and we do have to increase those numbers."
Calvert said they'll be building membership through communication, additional events, similar to Business After Five, and by encouraging chamber members to invite more guests to events.
He said he'll be presenting additional suggestions to the board to encourage membership.
"For example, a 'learn and lunch' day to log on and have a virtual lunch discussion with fellow members to have some dialogue, open the dialogue about membership. I'd like feedback on what they like and areas of opportunities relative to membership."
Calvert transferred to Sarnia-Lambton from Hamilton in 1984 to a management and promotion position at the Drawbridge Inn Hotel, now the Insignia Hotel, on Christina Street.
From there, he became sales manager at a new luxury car dealership, Grand Touring Cars Sarnia, where he spent 11 years.
He then took a sales manager position at Lexus of London for 18 years, working with a network of Lexus dealers in Canada, before being laid-off March 13 due to COVID-19.
Calvert said he was home for two or three weeks before learning of the chamber opportunity, and that he's thankful and honoured to be coming back to Sarnia.
"Personally, I feel that I owe this area a lot. It's been extremely good to me personally, my family, our friends, the network of people that we have here in this community. I've got a skillset that can support these people, especially given the times that we're in now."
