There's a new chair of the board at the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation.
Windsor Family Credit Union President and CEO Marty Komsa has a two-year term and replaces the outgoing chair, Shelley Fellows.
He says the corporation's greatest challenge moving forward will be balancing openness and transparency with the need for confidentiality when courting new investors. "If Tom Bain or Drew Dilkens, who are our funders, make an announcement, that's up to them," he says. "(But) you have to respect the process."
Komsa says changes to the way the corporation communicates will likely happen in the next six months.
He admits the competition is fierce with other jurisdictions, including Mexico and the southern U.S., but is heartened by growth in this region. "I am so impressed by the number of businesses that are in Essex County that are actually expanding right now to the tune of 40 jobs, 30 jobs," he says. "You start adding those up, there are some strong, strong businesses in this community."
"I don't know the answer on whether we'll ever get 600 -- or 2,000 jobs. I'm not sure those exist in Canada these days. They're all going down into those areas that are providing (senior government) incentives."
