By Staff/August 26, 2021
The Mount Pearl - Paradise Chamber of Commerce has a new board in place for the coming year.
At its recent annual general meeting, the board members elected Darlene Careen, who works on the West White Rose oil project, as the chamber’s president, replacing marketing consultant Dave Halliday.
Careen studied Business Administration at Memorial University, and has enjoyed a successful, progressive career in the oil and gas industry. Her work experience on major industrial projects has covered many facets of commercial management including contract development and negotiation, change management, labour relations and claim management.
Careen has also volunteered with the Beavers, minor soccer, minor hockey, and dance. She has served as a director with Mount Pearl Minor Hockey, the Alzheimer’s Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, treasurer of the Mount Pearl Frosty Festival board of directors, as a Mount Pearl City Days committee member, an Avalon Dragon Boat racer for breast cancer survivors, an instructor for Junior Achievement, and as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE). Careen has also volunteered as a Techsploration role model and mentor to several young women as they launch their careers. She is also involved with Ronald McDonald House and the Jimmy Pratt Breakfast Service.
“It is a privilege to sit as president of our chamber and work with such strong, dedicated and like-minded directors to support our commercial communities and attract and retain business, prosperity, leaders and mentors for today and tomorrow,” said Careen.
The new vice president of the chamber is Colleen Glynn, co-owner of EASY Safety Training & Services, located in Mount Pearl. She replaces lawyer Jillian Hewitt.
Glynn’s career started as a software developer and business analyst in the information technology industry, working for various companies throughout Canada and the U.S. In late 2017 Glynn and her husband Scott started EASY Safety Training.
Glynn said she is a firm believer in what the chamber of commerce stands for and how it brings the business community together. She said she welcomes the chance to develop her own business knowledge while drawing on the experiences and support of other members.
The chamber’s secretary this year is Brad Bragg, a realtor with Royal LePage Vision. Bragg has been a member of the chamber since 2015, and said he is eager to contribute as a board member to improve his professional and leadership skills. The Mount Pearl native has an Information Systems degree from St. Francis Xavier University.
The treasurer of the chamber this year is Coffee Matters co-founder and owner Scott Hillyer. He enjoys taking on leadership roles in professional organizations and is a past vice chairman of both Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the Restaurant Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. Hillyer also helps out a number of local charities.
One of the new board’s first matters of business was the hosting of a round table several weeks ago featuring local business owners, the federal Minister of Small Business, Mary Ng, and St. John’s South - Mount Pearl MP and federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan.
