By Don Zynomirski,
President, Dunnville Chamber of Commerce
To The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—After much consideration and thought, I have decided to step down from my position as president of the Dunnville Chamber of Commerce (COC). I have served for a term of five years as the president, enjoying the company and talents of a board of 14 local business owners and Haldimand County representatives.
In my tenure, many new and exciting events were added to our list of community offerings, attracting tourists and revenues to our local businesses. These annual community events gathered service clubs and businesses together to promote our town. Events were listed on our COC website and shared through event cards.
Three main events were successfully launched:
- Downtown is a Stage: entertainment was provided weekly throughout the summer, on Queen Street in 2018 and subsequently at the Farmer’s Market in 2019, allowing us to feature local talent. Thank you to the Downtown is a Stage committee for your hard work and commitment.
- Working alongside Attila Elek of the Dunnville Grand Tour cycling event, our COC promoted tourism inside and outside our community, attracting 760 cyclists for this exciting weekend.
- Working with Sheryl Sawyer, the Mudcat Marathon was also launched. It is a Boston Marathon qualifying race that brought in 1,200 runners and their families for a weekend. More exposure and revenue for our town.
In addition, under my leadership we ensured a return of the summer Movie Night in the Park community event. On average, 250 people turned out weekly to enjoy a family-oriented movie. Thank you to the many local COC businesses who sponsored these fun evenings.
In 2018, I spearheaded our COC’s participation in the First Impressions Community Exchange program with the town of Keswick.
This facilitated the exchange of ideas to assist in making Dunnville as attractive as possible for businesses, visitors, and residents.
Networking meetings began in 2016, bringing businesses together on a monthly basis. These meetings fostered a healthy exchange of ideas and encouraged cooperation and working together.
Communications to COC members have been greatly increased through the use of MailChimp emails, through our presence on Facebook, and through events in the community and at businesses.
I and the Board always ensured that Dunnville was well represented at Haldimand County’s Annual Business Excellence Awards. Many Dunnville businesses received well-earned recognition and peer respect for their winning entries.
The Board and I also assisted with overseeing the budget of the Chamber’s largest event: the Mudcat Festival. The Mudcat coordinator and a horde of dedicated volunteers make this event one of the largest and most popular in Haldimand County.
Our Board of Directors successfully conducted an audit for Chamber of Commerce financials, which had not been done in over 15 years. The auditor, Millards Chartered Professional Accountants, recommended two main things: first, the amalgamation of bank accounts for simplicity and cost savings, and secondly, to correct several financial oversights such as missed T4As for COC employees. This audit provided transparency and the assurance that we run our COC in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.
Working with the Board, we engaged in a closer relationship with Taylor Insurance, whereby member participation in the Infinity programs continues to provide an increased monthly revenue stream to the Chamber.
I continually attended Haldimand County meetings that pertained to Dunnville and our COC. This representation improved relationships with County employees and kept Dunnville top of mind with County decision making.
In addition, I forged a new relationship with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to improve that connection and communications. This relationship has been useful in the establishment of our new bylaws, ensuring that Dunnville COC is in sync with Ontario guidelines.
In 2019, a security system was installed for the protection of our volunteers and our office files and equipment. The board unanimously agreed to this in light of security breaches where volunteers felt threatened.
Working with our Board, and under the direction of Board member Debb Davies, the 2019 Christmas Light Up and Parade underwent major changes that resulted in a successful and well-attended night for our community. Continued improvements are planned for 2020.
Working with the Board and members of an ad hoc committee, revised bylaws have been established to further protect the integrity of the Chamber, and to ensure that we fall more in line with Ontario Chamber of Commerce recommendations.
With the assistance of our Board, we have increased our COC membership in five years, growing membership from 78 to 168. This healthy increase is a testament to the strength and commitment of Dunnville’s business community in this town.
It is my hope that, by stepping down, I provide an opportunity for new leadership to take the helm and continue to steer Dunnville and its businesses to new heights of excellence and prosperity. I am looking forward to spending more time with family, the Optimist Club, and my financial business. As of March 26 I will be stepping down as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Thank you to the community and the Chamber Board for working together to make Dunnville a better place to live, work, and prosper.
