Squires named CentreVenture CEO

By: Toni de Guzman Posted: 4:52 PM CST Monday, Dec. 30, 2024

A former provincial cabinet minister has been named the new chief executive officer of CentreVenture.

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A former provincial cabinet minister has been named the new chief executive officer of CentreVenture.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/12/2024 (250 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A former provincial cabinet minister has been named the new chief executive officer of CentreVenture.

Rochelle Squires will take over the role for the downtown development organization, an arm’s-length agency of the City of Winnipeg, starting Thursday.

“When I saw (CentreVenture Development Corp.) were searching for a new CEO, I thought there was this good alignment with some of the things I’ve done in the past,” Squires said.

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Former Manitoba cabinet minster Rochelle Squires will become the new chief executive officer for CentreVenture which was left vacant after Angela Mathieson stepped down from the position in January 2023.

The former MLA for Riel said downtown revitalization is important to her.

“I understand the vital need for creating new homes throughout our entire province and to work specifically in the downtown area building new housing units and making the downtown a vibrant place where people can live, work, and have all of their needs met,” she said.

Squires said one of her main priorities will be looking at “underutilized parcels of land,” referring to vacant buildings and excess surface parking lots, with an eye on eliminating some of these “obstacles and barriers.”

Angela Mathieson, the previous CentreVenture CEO, stepped down in January 2023. It’s been “all hands on deck” over the last year, board chair Brad Zander said, noting Mathieson has been available on a part-time consulting basis to assist.

“The board has been very appreciative of the existing staff members who have picked up the slack and taken on that added responsibility on an interim basis, and as chairperson I’ve served as the interim president and held a number of board appointments that the CEO has historically held,” Zander said.

The search for a new CEO began earlier this year.

“CentreVenture is very excited,” Zander said. “The board that led the search were particularly impressed with Rochelle’s background and history as a cabinet minister, her ability to build relationships, particularly her time as municipal affairs minister.”

She also served as sustainable development minister and families minister during her time in office from 2016-2023. She lost her seat to Mike Moyes in 2023 when the NDP government came to power.

Squires has also been a Free Press columnist.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca