by Laura Walz editor@prpeak.com Powell River Chamber of Commerce has a new president.
Jack Barr, president of Western Mortgage Development Corporation, took over the position from Dave Formosa, who resigned shortly after he was elected mayor of the City of Powell River on November 19. He appointed Barr president and the new board held its first meeting on Tuesday, December 6.
The appointment could be controversial, Formosa pointed out, because Barr doesn’t live in Powell River. “But Jack is here every week in the community. He has a larger investment in the community than I do, so his interest is here, his love for Powell River is obviously here,” Formosa said.
Formosa said he trusts his former position to Barr. “I hope he runs again. I think it’s nice if chamber presidents are high profile in this community, because sometimes you need to whip up support, or you need to give something an extra push through, or sometimes you actually reach in your own pocket, if you can, to make things happen. When we put together our first board of directors, I looked for those types of people and Jack was one of them.”
Barr is a “huge supporter” of Powell River, as was his father, Dick Barr, Formosa said. “I have never once been turned down by the Barr family, ever, for a donation, in the many things I have been involved with in this community.”
Barr said it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for him since he became president. “I don’t think I could ever hope to fill the size shoes that Dave has and the example he’s set for any future president coming in,” he said.
Barr has been involved in Powell River for over 25 years and has been on the chamber board for the past five years, which he described as a worthwhile experience. His company’s investments in Powell River are one of its larger portfolios, he added, noting that Business in Vancouver rated Powell River Town Centre as the 18th largest shopping centre in BC. “For a community of this size, it’s doing all right,” he said. “There’s so much talk about the amount of business that goes out of town and the shopping out of town. You’ll never curb that, but I think one of my jobs is to try and attract retailers to stay in town to keep people shopping in town, to keep the jobs in town as much as we can.”
Kim Miller has been chamber manager for 12 years and has worked with six different presidents. She said she was “sad, but thrilled,” with the change at the top. “Dave definitely was the most exuberant,” she said. “It’s been amazing how more involved with the community Dave has made the chamber get.”
During the five years Formosa was president, the chamber doubled its membership, Miller said. “We have money in the bank and when Dave came in, we had zero,” she said.
Barr will serve as president until the chamber’s next annual general meeting, slated to be held sometime in March. Barr said he plans on running for the position then. Formosa will be staying on the board as past president, which is a non-voting role. Barr appointed Pat Hull, the previous past president, to the board.
