It has been over a month since I began my new role as CEO of Rivercorp and I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone for the warm welcome I have received.
I would also like to commend the efforts of the Rivercorp staff and Board (past and present), City of Campbell River leadership, as well as community and business leaders who have put their time and effort into creating a solid economic development foundation in Campbell River.
Since my arrival people have been very open about their expectations for Rivercorp. Accordingly, Rivercorp will strive to create stronger linkages with its stakeholders, focus community economic development on sustainable principles, create a culture of entrepreneurship within the region, and nurture regional pride. It is also important to note that while confidentiality is a fundamental requirement of economic development work, communication with stakeholders is critical, so Rivercorp is developing new communications policies and procedures that will enable Rivercorp to share messages in a more open and transparent way.
Recently, Rivercorp has been pleased to work on a number of tourism and business initiatives with the Campbell River Creative Industries Council (CRCIC), Chamber of Commerce and INfilm. Rivercorp has also utilized social media and traditional marketing tools to publicize projects and successes like introducing creative industry companies and entrepreneurs to Campbell River through the SIGGRAPH
Conference, investigating opportunities in the forest industry in partnership with the Future of Forestry Task Force, obtaining international destination marketing exposure of Campbell River and region through NBC and BBC adventure sports tourism television programs, and working with the
Tourism Advisory Committee to identify new ideas for a regional marketing strategy. Rivercorp and the CRCIC have also worked closely with App City, a private company, to develop and launch a Campbell River smart phone app.
Campbell River and region have tremendous economic development opportunities and in the months and years ahead, I look forward to working with local leaders, businesses, First Nations, and community organizations to grow businesses and attract visitors and investors to Campbell River and region.
Rivercorp will work collaboratively to identify clear competitive advantages and turn them into business opportunities with tangible returns. My goal is to ensure that Rivercorp leads Campbell River and region’s growth as a premier place to live, work, play and invest.
Vic Goodman, CEO
Rivercorp, Campbell River Economic Development Corporation
