The CEO of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce has earned a national award.
Lynda Moffat was recognized for her contribution to local and national business this weekend.
Moffat was named Executive of the Year in the 500 to 1,000 members category at a ceremony in Regina last weekend. She has served as St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce president and CEO for the past 10 years.
“It’s just so exciting. I’ve worked really hard at the Greater Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber level and I’ve loved every minute of it, so to be recognized like that was so meaningful to me,” she said.
Moffat was selected as Executive of the Year by her peers; local chamber presidents from across the country. The award is meant to recognize an executive who has done an outstanding job and has served as a role model, said Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“Lynda fits that perfectly,” said Beatty. “She’s done an outstanding job with her local chamber and she contributes to the network of Chamber execs around the country. She makes sure that we’re well grounded. It’s often easy in Ottawa to get caught up in cosmic issues. She was able to bring it down and say look this is what it means to the communities where people are living and working.”
Beatty said it is a shame to be losing such a valuable and well-respected voice for local business.
Moffat, who will retire at the end of this year, has had a long and distinguished career. She has acted as an advocate for business both locally and nationally on a diverse range of issues including the expansion of Ray Gibbon Drive, the Temporary Foreign Worker program, and a drive against increasing the minimum wage.
Moffat served one term on the Canadian Chamber Board as a director. During that time, she met with then prime minister Stephen Harper to discuss key issues for business prior to the last election.
But Moffat said her best success was bringing to the Canadian Chamber Board the perspective of the community chambers.
“My voice concerning the grassroots level and how we can participate in discussions and have input on issues affecting us, was always heard and often acted upon,” she said.
– With files from Brian Bachynski
