Longtime Abbotsford resident Alex Mitchell has been named the new chief executive officer for the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce.
The ACOC made the announcement on Monday (April 17) and stated that Mitchell brings more than a decade of combined economic development, communications, and advocacy experience in both the public and private sector to the role.
After a cross-country recruitment process, The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce board is proud to announce the hiring of Alex Mitchell as incoming CEO. To learn more about Alex visit: https://t.co/5scm6zT4Mc#Abbotsford #Chamber #CEO #ACOC pic.twitter.com/tEMSuUK3LZ
— Abbotsford Chamber (@ACOC) April 17, 2023
“I am absolutely thrilled to be leading the exceptional team at the ACOC,” said Mitchell in a press release. “The Chamber is a cornerstone of our community and now more than ever, the Chamber has a critical role to play in continuing to provide impactful support to the businesses that call Abbotsford home. I look forward to building on the momentum of our board and previous CEO as I get started working on behalf of our organization’s 650-plus members to ensure that our region’s business community has a voice at all levels of government, and our local economy continues to thrive.”
Mitchell grew up in Abbotsford and has held roles at the City of Abbotsford where she was responsible for managing public relations and intergovernmental strategy, as well as serving as the City’s Economic Development Officer to support the retention and expansion of business invested in Abbotsford.
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She has an MBA from Simon Fraser University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, and she is a part-time instructor in the Civic Innovation and Governance Program at the University of the Fraser Valley. She also volunteers on the Board of the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre and contributes to numerous community causes and initiatives.
Mitchell participated in the 2022 Abbotsford municipal election and placed 11th in the race for a council seat. She received a total of 6,731 votes.
For the past two years, Mitchell has been a Director with Hill and Knowlton Strategies, one of the world’s leading public affairs and communications agencies. In this role, Alex has provided leadership on crisis communications files, executed national media campaigns for some of the country’s largest corporations, and delivered strategic counsel for executive leaders on media relations and corporate reputation.
It's officially #ChamberWeek in BC!
— Alex Mitchell (@alexandriamitch) February 13, 2023
No better time than the present to get involved in your local chamber...
The @ACOC is an integral resource for the growth and retention of local businesses #bizdev #ecdev #abbotsford pic.twitter.com/zkMlPXMwj8
This announcement marks the conclusion of a thorough cross-country recruitment process, overseen by a CEO Search Committee consisting of ACOC directors, with support from executive search firm Leaders International. It was initially launched in December.
Mitchell replaces outgoing CEO Katerina Anastasiadis who announced her departure in December after four years in the role.
“Alex is a respected leader and has deep connections in the Abbotsford community,” stated Craig Toews, president of the Chamber Board, who also led the CEO Search Committee. “We are entering an exciting new chapter with sound leadership that will further strengthen our network as we work together to weather the economic headwinds that are affecting businesses in Abbotsford.”
For more information, visit abbotsfordchamber.com.