Lois Ruston named new chamber president

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This article was published 01/02/2024 (673 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce has a new president. Vice-president Lois Ruston has assumed the role following the retirement of outgoing president Jaime Pugh from MNP, a professional services firm.

The change was made public by the chamber’s general manager, Connor Ketchen, on Wednesday in an interview with the Sun.

Pugh had been president since June 8, 2023, when she succeeded Tanya LaBuick after the completion of her one-year term as the head of the chamber.

Ruston acknowledged the groundwork laid by her predecessor, noting Pugh did a good job connecting with the business community and understanding their needs and challenges.

The new president is gearing up to lead the organization during its annual budget engagements with the City of Brandon, the Manitoba government and Brandon School Division.

“This is crucial work that ensures transparency with regards to the use of our tax dollars and works to enable our business community to remain competitive while growing into the future,” Ruston told the Sun. “This work, in tandem with our government relations committee, will be my priority in the coming weeks. We have been sharing budget papers with the City of Brandon, and very soon with the Province of Manitoba.”

She has also scheduled a meeting with the Brandon School Division later this month. A lot of this engagement, she said, informs the chamber’s messaging in the year ahead and sometimes uncovers issues that require its focus and advocacy throughout 2024.

Ruston, who was elected to the secretary-treasurer position in June 2022, said one of the many strengths of participating in a long-serving and established organization such as the Brandon Chamber of Commerce is that almost every situation has been encountered in its more than 140 years of existence.

“We have a strong succession plan in place for executive members, so I have been preparing to accept the presidency role for the past two years,” she said. “Tanya, Jaime and I had worked together to develop a strategy that would overarch our three terms as president and so I have the benefit of being able to carry our plans forward, with a complete understanding of the organization and the importance of each role of the executive.”

Like Pugh, Ruston plans to continue engaging with the business community by meeting with a target number of businesses each month. She emphasizes the importance of hearing firsthand about the challenges and successes of chamber members, recognizing that the strength of the organization lies in its membership.

“We will continue to collaborate on community initiatives and lean in when new issues arise,” she said. “GROW Brandon is a perfect example of this, which is a partnership between the chamber, City of Brandon and government stakeholders such as PrairiesCan.”

The chamber has retained a company that will help craft a community economic development plan acknowledging its shortcomings and leveraging the strategic advantages. “I am very excited to be part of the team that will roll out the GROW Brandon initiative and help it get legs of its own.”

Ketchen expressed gratitude to Pugh for her dedicated service to the chamber. Despite Ruston being new to the president’s role, she and Ketchen have spent ample time working together during his tenure as GM.

“Lois and I share a common understanding and interest in leadership and advocacy, and I am confident in our abilities to lead together and am excited to collaborate with her as she steps into the role of president,” he told the Sun.

“I envision us strengthening our relationships with municipal and provincial governments, working collaboratively to ensure the needs of our business community are met.”

He attributed the chamber’s enduring success to its strong bylaws and policies that facilitate smooth transitions during periods of change.

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