Chamber seats new, younger members at its board table

THE Broome Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the fresh perspective and varied experience of a group of new members to its board.

At the chamber’s annual general meeting last week, seven existing members were joined by seven incoming members, who president Tony Proctor said included younger, dynamic businesspeople, and would provide a mix of experience.

The new members are Matthew Clowes from Pinctada, Charles Kleiman from Broome Port Authority, Ian Riley from Cyclone Windows, Rhondda Chappell from Toll Mermaid, Nicholas Hoar from Broome Auto Excellence, Ben Secrett from Buru Energy and Nicola Walters from Leading Edge Computers.

Mr Proctor thanked outgoing members Captain Vic Justice and Ron Johnston for valuable contributions over the years.

BCC executive officer Maryanne Petersen said the new board provided some generational change and ensured the chamber remained committed to the concerns of ordinary business.

“The new members come from a diverse range of business backgrounds, representing a cross section of Broome’s business community,” she said. “This will strengthen our decision-making ability and bring new views and ideas to the table.”

New member Mr Riley, who arrived in Broome two years ago, said he was very interested in the town, its growth and the needs of its business community.

“It’s great if small businesses and the town can take advantage of any change,” he said.

Mr Riley said he believed it was “inevitable” the North West and Broome would continue to grow, whether the proposed gas hub at James Price Point went ahead or not.