Old St. Vital BIZ welcomes new leadership

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/06/2021 (1820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s been a change of leadership at the helm of the Old St. Vital BIZ.

It was recently announced that Nancy Cooke will take over as president of the organization, and Regina Teplitsky will be OSVB’s new executive director.

Cooke replaces longtime president Jim Fuller, and Teplitsky takes the spot of executive director Maurice Allard.

In an emailed statement, Cooke told The Lance she’s grateful for the contributions of both men throughout the years, and thanked Allard for his many years in the position and for sharing his experience with Teplitsky prior to his departure. She also thanked Fuller, the longtime owner of Top Hat Florist on St. Mary’s Road, for his role in establishing the organization and his years of service, and he will stay on as past president and an honorary member.

Referring to 2020 as a year like no other, and 2021 as one of renewal and development, Cooke said the pandemic has predictably tested the resolve of many member businesses in the community, and it’s been good to see how many have weathered the storm during this unprecedented period.

“It challenged the members of our community and the businesses in our zone and around the world. Our businesses have proven how resilient and adaptable we can be in the face of this extended disruption,” she said.

“At the beginning of 2020, (the BIZ) had 146 businesses providing a wide variety of goods and services. One year into the pandemic, we have seen new and exciting businesses pivot and find new ways to deliver their goods and services, and our membership has grown to 150.”

As reported in The Lance last year, OSVB board members took action to support its members and maintain a focus on economic development and community beautification when it provided each of its member businesses with an equal share of $100,000. This boost was in the form of an economic recovery recognition program, and each business received a donation of $675 from its own reserve fund.

Another action taken by the organization, Cooke said, was to reduce the business levy for its members by 0.75 per cent: “A review of our core functions and budget was done to reflect the priority of supporting the survival of our business community.”

And with the mercury now rising, OSVB’s summer team — with the support of summer student jobs grants from the federal and provincial governments — has started cleaning out and preparing planters around the zone that house the flowers that are maintained throughout the season.

The team also helps with the graffiti removal program that’s funded by the City of Winnipeg, including student Rielle Ettawacappo, who will be spending her fifth summer with the team before she heads to the University of Manitoba to study environmental design in the fall.

Go online at www.oldstvitalbiz.com for more information.