Peninsula man elected president of Cloverdale Chamber

Members of an organization that represents more than 400 local businesses have chosen a new president to lead them for the coming term.

Brian Young, general manager and chief operating officer of the Surrey Golf Club, has been elected president of the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce.

Young, a busy father of two, is also president-elect of the Rotary Club of Cloverdale and a member of the Surrey Board of Trade.

“I believe performing in service groups is essential to rounding out your business,” said Young, who was elected along with a set of new officers and directors of the Cloverdale Chamber Oct. 6.

“You have to give in order to receive.”

The Peninsula resident takes over the position from Bruno Zappone, and will serve the one-year 2009/2010 term along with vice president Addison Hubert, treasurer Leona Jones and secretary Lynn Pederson.

The chamber works alongside two other business-oriented organizations Young is involved with, the White Rock/South Surrey Chamber of Commerce and the Surrey Board of Trade.

Young joined hundreds at the Sheraton Guildford for former British prime minister Tony Blair’s recent keynote address to the Surrey Board of Trade – he called Blair the “right speaker at the right time.”

“There are a lot of parallels to what he did in his time and what’s happening in the province and the city of Surrey,” Young said. “He really hit the right note.”

He’s pleased to see a growing nucleus of like-minded business and community leaders that are working together to bring events like Blair’s appearance a reality.

“It’s nice to see so many people so motivated to make Surrey the city it’s going to be.”

Young would like to see the number of members in the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce grow.

“Really, our role is to support business in the Cloverdale area,” he said. “We try hard to make sure we provide a voice for the businesses in the area. We’ve actually made great strides this past year.”

Young said he learned a lot from past chamber presidents Ben Weavers and Zappone.

“Both did a fabulous job,” he said, adding one of the goals for the coming term is to move to a formal succession for officer positions, with the vice president moving into the role of president, then past-president, over three consecutive terms.

“It takes a year to learn everything.”

Young moved to Surrey after 15 years in Whistler, and is currently studying for his Masters of Business Administration via correspondence course, losing in sleep what he makes in time with his family and various business and community commitments.

“What I love about the Cloverdale area is how open and friendly everyone is. It just feels like a small town within the big city,” he said. “It’s funny, because I live in the South Surrey/White Rock area and work in Cloverdale, and I’ve chosen to associate myself with the Cloverdale community because of the people. The people are great.”

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