Chamber History
Over 120 Years of Commitment to Business Excellence
The Chamber of Commerce, incorporated in 1897 as the Vernon Board of Trade, was established to meet the ever increasing demands for business and travel information that came with the arrival of the new railroad. The 44 charter members of Vernon’s senior business organization elected George A. Henderson as their first president.
The Vernon Board of Trade registered a name change in 1961 to the Vernon Chamber of Commerce when P.D. Seaton was president. Later, the name was unofficially changed to the Vernon and District Chamber of Commerce. In 1990, an application was made to change the name a third time to the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, which better reflects the Chamber’s changing and expanding mandate as the Voice of Business for the Greater Vernon area.
The following is a list of the past-presidents. These individuals have been the pioneers, entrepreneurs and community leaders who have been a vital part of the Chamber’s success and the region’s prosperity.
2023-24 Kirndeep Nahal
2021-23 Robin Cardew
2019-21 Krystin Kempton
2018-19 Diana Wilson
2017-18 Markus Schrott
2016-17 Dauna Kennedy Grant
2015-16 Tracy Cobb Reeves
2014-15 Jaron Chasca
2013-14 Adrian Johnson
2012-13 Ingrid Dilschneider
2011-12 Ken MacLeod
2010-11 Deb Leroux
2009-10 Jonathon Jones
2008-09 David Fletcher
2007-08 Jay Hack
2006-07 Bob Sattler
2005-06 Ruth Hoyte
2004-05 Malcom Dunn
2003-04 Ruth Hoyte
2002-03 Ian Hawes
2001-02 Darren Bradley
2000-01 Bruce Shepherd
1999-00 Jim Leith
1998-99 Sean Harvey
1997-98 Liz MacArthur
1996-97 David Schaefer
1995-96 Dave Adams
1994-95 Luby Pow
1993-94 Rick Balfour
1992-93 Sherry Price
1991-92 Terry Quesnel
1990-91 David Hodge
1989-90 Morgan Thomas
1988-89 Bob Papworth
1987-88 Greg Schroeder
1986-87 Brian Coburn
1985-86 M. Fitzsimmons
1984-85 Richard Hamilton
1983-84 Claudette Everitt
1982-83 Ed Burnett
1981-82 Mike Kowaluk
1980-81 Frank Estergaard
1979-80 Gordon Clements
1978-79 Norm Stevenson
1977-78 Frank Estergaard
1976-77 Brian Usher
1975-76 Chris Brown
1974-75 Don Branton
1973-74 Don Firzzell
1972-73 Jack Gordon
1971-72 Joe Keenan
1970-71 H.G. Powell
1969-70 Lyall E Hanson
1968-69 J. Passmore
1967-68 G. Langford
1966-67 Walt Nielson
1965-66 William Malcolm
1964-65 D.G. MacMillan
1963-64 S.R. Muirhead
1962 L.R. Mercier
1961 P.D. Seaton
1960 F.W. Oliver
1959 S.J. Ladyman
1958 A.J. Gilroy
1957 J.B. McCallum
1956 M.J. Conroy
1955 F.R. Harris
1954 E.C. Brown
1953 D. Howrie
A.E. Royce
1952 W. Helmsing
1951 A. Bemer
1950 C. McDowell
1949 H. Fosbrooke
1948 N. Bartlett
1947 E.R. Dicks
1946 A.W. Howlett
1945 M.H. Beaven
1943-44 W. Bennett
1942 W. Bennett
J.E. Montague
1941 A. Browne
1939-40 T.E. Clarke
1938-39 H.W. Galbraith
1935-37 R. Peters
1934 - G. Whithead
1933 - J.T. Mutrie
1931-32 G.O. Nesbitt
1929-30 A.T. Howe
1927-28 H. Pout
W. Kennedy
1926 W.G. Ferris
1923-25 James Valiance
1922 W.E.Taggart
1921 K.W. Kinnard
1919-20 F.B. Cossitt
1916-18 James Valiance
1915 M.J. O’Brien
1912-14 G.A. Henderson
1911 C.C. MacRae
1910 M.J. O’Brien
1908-1909 James Valiance
1905-1907 W.R. Megaw
1897-1904 G.A.Henderson