September 26, 2023 Message to the Membership
Posted on September 26, 2023 in Message to the Membership
I’ve been meaning to get back to you, but it’s been a little busy at your good ol’ NSBA these past few weeks (more on this to come). And as I write this, it’s already a couple of hours past our self-imposed deadline. So please forgive me as I ramble on about some recent goings on.
Firstly, as you will see below in this newsletter, we have officially rebranded as NSBA – Saskatoon’s Business Association. Well, this might not be earth-shattering news for many of you, because indeed we have been speaking of ourselves in those terms for quite some time now. But it was raised in this space while we were doing our strategic planning a while back, so I felt obligated to bring it back to you now.
Even though it was noted before that this is what we’re going with (as opposed to dropping the North, and/or ‘N’ entirely etc.), we’ve registered the name with the Corporations Branch, and just as of today have advised the media that we’ve rebranded. As with most rebrands, it will likely take a while to become commonplace, but we’ll do what we can to see to it that we’re identified as we want to be moving forward.
Secondly, can you believe that it’s virtually October? I mean c’mon. Never mind where did summer go… where did September go? I think the latter has something to do with the fact that after the summer holiday season, everybody realizes that they’ve got business to attend to, and… BOOM, everything and everyone gets busy.
We at the NSBA can certainly accept our share of responsibility there. It starts with our Popcorn and Entrepreneurship Series presented by EY, which falls in the last week of summer holidays (for the schools) and it keeps right on going from there. We so far have had one excellent NSBA Networks Series event in September, a presentation by Quinn Magnuson of BDC, which was universally appreciated by all in attendance for its relevance and timeliness for leaders as they grapple with their people development (don’t call it human resources).
We have another excellent Network Series luncheon this Friday. We’re doing our part to acknowledge National Truth and Reconciliation Day, by having Milton Tootoosis speak to the membership about TRC’s Call to Action #92, which largely calls upon the corporate community to include indigenous peoples in economic inclusion and reconciliation.
This leads up to our annual event, I’ve Learned presented by KPMG, happening on Tuesday, October 3 (one week from today, assuming you’re reading this on the day of its release). What a showcase and panel we have for you this year! It’s going to be an amazing evening, I have no doubt. So I would encourage you to get your tickets before it’s too late. You don’t want to miss out.
It’s also our final major event of the year, and this being our 50th year (it’s a birthday, not an anniversary), we’ve brought Russel Marcoux back to speak to us again. Russel was one of our very first Lessons I’ve Learned panelists, and in keeping with our goal of acknowledging our past this year, we could think of no better spokesperson than Russel to share with us the knowledge he’s gained since first appearing in 2006.
And finally, a quick but heartfelt thank you to Kanchan Manek and the Raj Maniek family for bestowing me with one of their prestigious annual awards, the Above and Beyond Award, at their recent awards gala. I am truly grateful and humbled by the honour.
But I must say that they got me… it was a complete surprise. And I raise this only to share a sincere apology to all of the past NSBA Shirley Ryan Lifetime Achievement Award and NSBA Member of the Year Award winners, because they too are taken by surprise at our Business Builder Awards. Now I know how they feel.
In terms of my reaction, although I was honoured, I was embarrassed because I could literally feel the blood rushing to my head and my face getting flush. I stumbled to the stage only to hear a preamble from MLA David Buckingham (Trade and Export sponsored it) describing why I was deserving of this award. (More blood rushing.) And finally I got to the podium, without knowing what to do or say and all I could think of was getting off the stage as quickly as I could.
Anyway, it was a great honour, and despite my initial, guttural reaction, we have the Above and Beyond award proudly on display in our front lobby area. Stop in and have a look and we’ll give you our five-cent tour while you’re at it.
Until next time, be safe, be smart, be considerate, be well, but most of all, be kind.
Keith Moen
Executive Director