Image: Mark Leger/Huddle.
This summer, Saint John joined with its neighbouring municipalities to create a unified economic development team to market the region.
Heather Libbey has now been named the transition coordinator who will help the board putting further governance structures into place.
Libbey says it’s an exciting time for the municipalities that have signed on to the agency.
“They are in! They all signed-off unanimously to be part of this, they have committed the funds to be able to participate,” Libbey said.
Saint John will be joined by Hampton, Quispamsis, Rothesay, and Grand Bay-Westfield as the five municipalities unifying for the purposes of economic development.
Libbey says the agency will give the region an advantage when competing for business, tourism, and talent.
“It’s going to be the largest agency of its kind east of Montreal,” she said. “It can compete on a scale with Halifax.”
The board is next looking for a C.E.O. that will take over the agency’s strategy.
For Libbey’s part, she doesn’t believe it will be a tough sell for the agency to market to outsiders.
“For one, I’m not from here. I chose to live here,” she explained. “They’re looking to attract more professionals, more tourists, more business: exciting!”
