Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5668/-1/140/
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Chamber Of Commerce Has New Board
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Keithley Lake is the new President of the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACOCI). He was elected by the Directors who were chosen at the annual general meeting last week. The Vice President is John Benjamin and other members of the Board are Treasurer Marcel Fahie, Secretary Damien Hughes and members Louis Bardfield, Vida Lloyd-Richardson and Carlton Pickering.
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The newly elected Board of Directors
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The Executive Director is Calvin Bartlett who works with several volunteers as well as with the Board.
The new President outlined some of the initiatives for the year saying that the Board intends for the Chamber to take a much more active role in business and community affairs. He noted that business is becoming more complex as the island develops and leadership and guidance from ACOCI is imperative. There will be considerably more visibility, an improvement in government relations, community activities, business development, and public relations and marketing for its members.
A new initiative is the appointment of six committees. These are Community and Public Relations headed by Louis Bardfield and Capacity Building with Damien Hughes as the chairman. Keithley Lake will head the Government Relations and Advocacy Committee. Financial Sustainability will be headed by Marcel Fahie, Business Development under John Benjamin and Good Governance has Vida Lloyd-Richardson as the chair. Members of ACOCI are to be involved in the committees.
Vice Chairman of the Board, John Benjamin, said that “unity is strength” and there are many issues that need to be taken to government and elsewhere and that the Chamber will be more effective if supported by its members.
Currently there are 74 contributing members to ACOCI but there are 1284 members listed who are officially members because they have business licences on the island. Plans are to include members more in the activities of the Chamber and there are to be quarterly general meetings. There will also be more human resource development as there is a need for training. In the past the Customer Satisfaction Training and the Quick Books training have been very successful and these will be included and more programmes added. Plans are to access the specific needs of members and potential members.