After five years with the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director Eileen Leddy is hanging up her hat. Since 2006, Leddy has been working with the Chamber as the executive director and has seen many changes and growth since she began — but for now she is looking forward to relaxing and catching up on various hobbies and pastimes she hasn’t had time for.
Leddy’s involvement with the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce began in 1996 when she started a home-based business club with the Chamber as a sponsor. After that, in 1997 to ‘98, Leddy was involved with the chamber as a board member. After her short initial stint with the chamber, Leddy worked for Education International (a global union federation of teachers’ trade unions), but returned to the chamber in May of 2006 and began in her position as executive director by that fall.
During her time with the chamber, Leddy saw many goals reached and dreams realized. “The introduction of the Crystal Awards for Business were a huge success for the chamber,” said Leddy of the annual awards offered to new and existing local businesses. “We are also pretty excited about the Business Hall of Fame we introduced to the Crystal Awards this year,” she said. The Hall of Fame will recognize long-term contributions to the business community by individual business people and the 2011 inductee (posthumous) is Jenny Butchart, founder of The Butchart Gardens. Also on her list of accomplishments by the chamber while she was executive director was the contract to run the visitors centres on the Peninsula. The Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce experienced major growth over the last five years while Leddy was involved with the organization, which she attributes to a strong team and an enthusiastic response by the business community to such an organization. Leddy’s position was filled in June and she extends her excitement and welcome to having someone new in the mix. “It will be nice for the chamber to have someone new and dynamic in my old position,” said Leddy. “I do hope they keep flourishing and growing as we have so far.”
Leddy’s career as executive director for the Chamber was a natural progression from her education (degree in English and certificate in Communications) and she always loved the array of work she did in her position. Also from her involvement with the chamber came many friendships she made over the years. “Everyone I’ve met since I moved here in 1995 from Saskatoon I met through the chamber,” Leddy smiled. “Working together in such a capacity and having to work together to set and reach goals really builds good relationships.
“Our whole approach of building up the chamber to be bigger and better was a collaborative effort with the staff and the stakeholders in the community. That’s how we got things done and it seems to have worked really well for us over the past few years. Having a sense a humor also doesn’t hurt either.”
Leddy now hopes to have more time to pursue the things she hasn’t had time for the past five years or more. A single mother to four (grown children), Leddy is no stranger to being busy, but is looking forward to slowing down for the meantime. “I am really excited to just kick back, catch up on my reading, do some baking, and get back into playing the piano and playing bridge. It’s amazing when you step back from everyday life and your 9 to 5 job and realize how much you miss doing the little things in life that make you who you are,” she said.
Along with leaving the chamber, Leddy will also be leaving her post with the Peninsula News Review writing The Buzz and Chamber Matters which chronicle businesses, residents and events on the Saanich Peninsula.
“I really appreciate the support of the local businesses, the town councils and the community at large over the last five years,” she said. “I will miss seeing many of those people every day and wish them all the best.”