As of October 12, the Halton Hills Chamber or Commerce will be looking for a new general manager. But they'll be hard-pressed to replace the outgoing manager, Acton native Kathleen Dills, who recently announced her retirement after a seven-year stint at the position. Previous to that, Dills had represented Purity Life to the Chamber and served as Chair of the association from 2010-2012.
Halton Chambers of Commerce have been representing the area since 1912. The Halton Hills chapter was formed just after the towns amalgamated 41 years ago. It currently represents over 460 businesses that employ more than 11,400 people. In a nutshell, the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce promotes the economic development and prosperity for the Town and its business community.
“What we do is difficult to explain,” said Dills. “We touch on so many different things. The Chamber makes connections. We connect our members in many ways. Each month the Chamber hold events in places of business all across Halton Hills where people can meet.”
According to Dills, the Chamber holds seven key events each year including a golf tournament, the Business Excellence Awards, the Business Summit, the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Lunch and Address, the International Women’s Day Event, Taste of the Hills. The Chamber also recognizes business excellence by hosting an annual awards night as well as recognizing both the Business and Employee of the Month.
“The mission of the Chamber is to build confident enterprises and a vibrant community by connecting organizations to the information and services they need to accelerate success and growth. Our motto is be seen, be heard and belong,” said Dills.
“We connect our members to our four levels of government through conferences, seminars, advocacy days, and we host the “Meet the Candidate” events. We also host a spring show where businesses can connect in person to the community.”
Dills says that working for a not-for-profit, member-driven organization has been a new and rewarding experience for her. “One of the first things I did was to go through an extensive accreditation process run by the Canadian Chamber. It was critical for me to know that we were running the operation effectively and I am proud to say that we have maintained our accreditation,” she said.
“The best part of the role was building relationships with business owners of companies big and small, new and established. I was able to serve on a number of committees and Boards that helped connect the Chamber to the Community. Working with our volunteer Board of Directors was a true honour.”
Dills cites a number of memorable accomplishments during her tenure: the Women in Business Committee, the Canada 150 Most Patriotic Town initiative, Taste of the Hills event, the Business Summit, International Women’s Day Retreat and the Diversity Committee. “We advanced our advocacy role on behalf of our members and with the support of both the Ontario and Canadian Chambers put forth a number of policy recommendations. We attended Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park, worked with our local government serving on committees and boards, as well as hosting and attending a number of political forums.”
From an operational perspective, Dills oversaw the movement of the association's office to Downtown Georgetown, and most recently the downsizing to a smaller office space, and having staff work from home to reduce expenses. She was also instrumental in implementing a new website and automated systems to improve access to members.
“I am grateful to be a part of something so important to our community. I thank the Board and members for letting me serve them. It has been an honour.”
Dills is 63-years-old and looking forward to retirement. “I have bought a camper van and would be heading south and west to see my son in California. But looks like that won't happen,” she said. “Not sure what I will do. Looking at wintering at our cottage. I just need a bit of a break before I decide what to do when I grow up.”
Comments