Good morning.
My name is Jeff Richards. I'm a chartered accountant, and I'm a director and the treasurer of the Surrey Board of Trade.
The Surrey Board of Trade is the voice of Surrey businesses. Currently comprising 3,600 business contacts, it is one of the three largest boards of trade in British Columbia.
The board has a variety of advocacy committees, projects, and collaborations reflecting and representing the business community of this vibrant centre. The Surrey Board of Trade and Simon Fraser University Surrey are working together with the City of Surrey and other businesses and education providers to support the needed education, research, and economic development infrastructure for B.C.'s second-largest city.
Several strategic initiatives have been selected to highlight to the finance committee. These initiatives show the range of our collaborative activities, and also are areas where further investment is required by all levels of government and the private sector.
Joanne Curry, a board of trade member and the executive director of Simon Fraser University Surrey, will now outline progress and potential in Surrey's city centre.