Heading into a year of transition, members of the Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP), an economic development alliance of more than 50 members, voted to reappoint two board members during the group's fall general meeting in Red Deer last week.Innisfail town councillor Tracey Walker and County of Stettler councillor Joe Gendre were reappointed to one-year terms as directors during the Nov. 29 meeting at the Black Knight Inn.Joining Walker and Gendre as directors are three newcomers: Penhold mayor Dennis Cooper, JEDI (Joint Economic Development Initiative) Alberta's Richard Horncastle and Karen Grant, a business representative from the Town of Delburne.CAEP chair Al Kemmere said Walker had time ìto get her feet wet a little bitî over the past year and is in a position to use that experience to help CAEP move forward as it works to develop its own identity.ìShe's been able to really help us through her participation and her new ideas to help us through the transition,î he said. ìI think that will be great for both CAEP and for Tracey to just keep moving forward.îGendre, a three-year veteran of the CAEP board of directors, represents the rural eastern portion of CAEP very well, Kemmere said.ìHe's got some great experience and is a strong supporter of partnerships and economic development,î he said. ìWhen you get that approach together, that's great to have.îKemmere said Cooper brings another level of experience to the board, while Grant's experience running a business in a small community and Horncastle's economic development perspective will also be assets to the board.ìThey have it from a different perspective than those of us who are politicians,î he said. ìSo, the working experience will be great.îWalker said she was excited to be reappointed as a director for a three-year term.ìThe direction the board has taken is very positive,î said Walker, adding she hopes to remain chair of CAEP's Central Alberta Region Welcoming Communities.The 4th Annual Achievement Awards were also handed out during the meeting. They are designed to focus on ìthe great successes that are out there,î Kemmere explained.Red Deer Regional Economic Development won the promotion award for its suite of marketing materials used during the early stages of the Central Alberta: Access Prosperity project; A.C. Dandy Electrical Products Ltd. took home the innovation award, due to its growth from a grassroots company in Wetaskiwin to a significant employer looking to expand; and the Town of Ponoka, along with its partners the County of Ponoka, the Ponoka Stampede & Exhibition Association, and the Ponoka Agricultural Society, were announced as the winners of the collaboration award for their partnership in the construction of the Ponoka Ag Event Centre, which opened this year.ìI believe (the awards) give people a motivation to try different angles when they can see the successes and move forward,î Kemmere said. ìOur job at CAEP is to bring those to the limelight.îIn addition to raising membership fees this year in order to meet its goals, CAEP was also forced to revisit its financial model after the Alberta government pulled a significant amount of the group's funding and management support in February, Kemmere said.CAEP hired its own staff, including a new manager and support staff. Former Rimbey mayor Dale Barr, who had previously served as CAEP chair, took the helm as manager in October. The board of directors also recently voted to move CAEP into its own offices in downtown Red Deer. CAEP had been given extensions over the past six months to stay in the government offices.ìWe're creating our own identity as far as standalone business goes,î Kemmere said, adding the partnership still receives $75,000 per year in funding from Alberta Treasury.ìWe've created our own organization now where we stand completely on our own otherwise.î
