President of the Kelowna Chamber of commerce Tom Dyas announced the Chamber has named a permanent executive director for the 1,350-member organization. Dan Rogers is moving into the executive’s chair in early June, taking up a new challenge within what he calls “the Chamber Network.”
Dan Rogers is moving into the executive’s chair in early June, taking up a new challenge within what he calls “the Chamber Network.”
Rogers has been in charge of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce since 2014, where he has overseen growth in membership; an active policy advocacy program; and an expansion of Chamber-partnered programs with members, and with other Chambers of Commerce in the valley and around the province.
“Both our interim managers brought so much to our Chamber staff, to our board, and to our members,” said Dyas, on announcing Rogers’s appointment. “While our operational staff carried on with unstinting professionalism across their wide range of tasks, the interim managers emphasized stability and connection with the board and wider business community. We’re extremely grateful to both of them for their generous contributions of time and effort.”
The former broadcast journalist came to the Chamber after living and working in Prince George for upwards of 30 years. He spent three of those years as mayor, and before that, as a four-term city councillor.
His particular area of interest in Vernon has been centered on building innovative programs to support members and the business community while encouraging collaborative efforts between private and public sector organizations.
In the move to the Kelowna Chamber, Rogers plans to continue his active interest in policy, while taking on the broader responsibilities of managing a larger operational staff of nine; a larger membership; year-round multiple events, and working with what he defines as “one of Canada’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, and a force to be reckoned with now, and in the future.”
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has been searching for a permanent executive director since January.
