Following recent organizational changes, the City of Penticton’s Economic Development function has been moved into the newly formed Community Services Division and consolidated with the City’s established Sports and Events portfolio.
To lead the newly combined role, General Manager of Community Services, Anthony Haddad, has appointed Carly Lewis – who previously held the positon of Sports and Events Project Manager – to the revised position of Economic Development Manager. As part of this role, Ms. Lewis will continue to lead the Events Department and remain a contact and support for event organizers.
In her new capacity, Ms. Lewis will work with Council, committees, tourism, businesses and the community to move the City’s economic development initiatives and priorities forward, including focusing on COVID-19 recovery in 2021 and continuing implementation of the City’s Five Year Economic Development Strategy.
“The City’s Economic Development function is now more important than ever, as we look to focus attention on business community recovery and support into 2021 and beyond,” said Anthony Haddad, General Manager of Community Services. Haddad added, “The alignment of the function within our Community Services Team will support the work that Carly has been leading around rebuilding our Sports and Events portfolio as a key economic driver for the community and we will continue to build partnerships in our City that will contribute to the economic success.”
The City of Penticton’s 2018-2022 Economic Development Strategic Plan identifies five key result areas to determine performance of the department, developed through business and stakeholder engagement in 2018. Key result areas that guide the development of annual operational plans for the department include:
- Strategic Communication: Developing key messaging and reporting to our internal and external stakeholders
- Collaboration: Identifying strategic partnerships and working towards common goals
- Retention & Expansion: Focusing on businesses currently within the community
- Labour & Business Attraction: Focusing on bringing businesses, investment and labour to Penticton
- Organizational Excellence: Continually improving the Economic Development Department
In 2018, through the development of the five-year plan, the Economic Development Department created a solid base utilizing data received from the Business Climate Survey, Labour Market analysis and South Okanagan Investment Attraction Strategy. 2019 saw a focus on resident attraction, business community support and process improvement to enable investment ready processes – the results of which have been seen through new development in the community. While 2020 priorities shifted to support a response to the pandemic, the department continued to implement the Strategic Plan supporting the airport, film industry, events and the development industry in the provision of new housing developments in the community. Working with the Economic Recovery Task Force created in spring 2020, economic development priorities shifted to support business recovery.
2021 will continue to see the department respond to the pandemic and needs of our businesses and support existing and new events where permitted, but also focus on being investment ready within the North Gateway of our city, looking to encourage private investment that supports the City’s public assets in the South Okanagan Events Centre and Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
Haddad concluded, “Economic Development is a function that covers all sectors of our economy and we need to be smart in how we invest public funds to get the greatest benefit for our community. I have every confidence in Carly and our team at the City to work closely with our Committees and stakeholders over the coming months as we continue to respond to the biggest economic challenge of our time to ensure we are a highly prepared community coming out of this crisis.”