VIEA will have new leadership as it continues to foster connections among businesses and industries on the Island.

The Vancouver Island Economic Alliance announced Friday, June 17, that Julie Sperber will be the next president and CEO of the organization.

Sperber, executive director of the Gabriola Chamber of Commerce, will officially start her new duties with VIEA in August, but she was introduced to board members Friday at the alliance鈥檚 annual general meeting at Nanaimo鈥檚 Vancouver Island Conference Centre.

She has been involved with VIEA for several years as a member of the economic summit program planning committee and has experience in economic development and business and in management in the manufacturing, hospitality and non-profit sector.

Sperber said a key role of VIEA CEO is to identify potential for collaboration and partnerships to help multiple stakeholders thrive.

鈥淥rganizations like VIEA become that community connector piece across sectors and across communities around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands鈥︹�� she said. 鈥淭he [Vancouver Island Economic] Summit actually pulls people together to connect and build those collaborative relationships.鈥�

The past two Island summits couldn鈥檛 ignore themes of disruption during a global pandemic, and Sperber said recovery 鈥� and the pace of recovery 鈥� is going to be sector-specific.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 generally hopeful about is the idea of those shifts that we鈥檝e all talked about 鈥� [to] more of a regional focus, [to] building more creative partnerships that maybe weren鈥檛 even thought about pre-pandemic,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause everything鈥檚 changed, I think people are more open to the different possibilities now of partnerships and symbiotic relationships that probably wouldn鈥檛 have been bridged pre-pandemic.鈥�

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Sperber said she鈥檒l lean on outgoing president and CEO George Hanson and his knowledge and experience over the coming months. Hanson, president for the past 11 years, will remain with VIEA until year鈥檚 end and after that, he said, 鈥渨ill remain active in some way in the Island economy, I鈥檓 sure.鈥�

He said Vancouver Island鈥檚 economy has weathered the storm through COVID and he鈥檚 optimistic about the future, so long as there鈥檚 a continued willingness to work together in what he said aren鈥檛 鈥渟tandard鈥� economic times.

鈥淲e are in a time of transformation,鈥� Hanson said. 鈥淓verybody needs to embrace change and be ready for change and we have to work together to be effective.鈥�

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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