Lethbridge, AB…Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) held its Annual General Meeting yesterday afternoon at the
Coast Hotel and Conference Centre. The AGM showcased much of the work accomplished by EDL over the past year,
was a mechanism for introducing new Board of Director members, and the venue for debuting the organizations new 4-
year business plan. Attendees also had the opportunity to partake in a presentation and discussion surrounding best
practices for creative industries including film, television, gaming, and virtual and augmented reality in Lethbridge and area. The Annual General Meeting also welcomed new EDL Board Chair and President, Adriana Mercader, to the role. Mercader will serve as President and Board Chair, taking over from Kevin Brees who will continue in the Past President role.

“Serving on the EDL Board for the past 4 years in the Industrial & Manufacturing sector has been a great opportunity to learn how EDL helps the Lethbridge economy on so many levels. The work they do and the partnerships they have forged are making our region one of the most desirable locations to do business anywhere in the world,” commented Mercader, Chief Executive Officer, Flexahopper Plastics Inc. “I’m excited to take on the role of President as Economic Development Lethbridge unveils key priorities and the work they will be doing as part of their new 4-year business plan which will run from 2023 through 2026”.

Economic Development Lethbridge is an arm’s length organization, supported by the City of Lethbridge, governed by a 31- member volunteer Board of Directors, and managed by a team of professionals dedicated to promoting economic
prosperity in Lethbridge. EDL Board Members are drawn from a diverse cross-section of the community with the intention of best accomplishing the mandate and objectives of the organization.
2022 proved to be another busy year for EDL with continued work on their investment attraction, and business retention and expansion portfolios. The organization partnered with Tourism Lethbridge and Lethbridge & District Exhibition on the inaugural Brighter Together Food Journey in August and in December, EDL joined 22 other local and regional organizations on the 7th Team Lethbridge mission to Edmonton to advocate on behalf of Lethbridge with officials from the provincial government. The Board of Directors played a significant role in developing the organizations new 4-year business plan and new funding initiatives that were presented to and approved by Lethbridge City Council.

“I want to thank our community partners and Board of Directors for all the input they provided in guiding Economic
Development Lethbridge over the past year. We continued work on branding our city and region as a leader in agriculture, food processing, supply chain & logistics, manufacturing and so much more. With new initiatives now funded by all levels of government, we will continue building on previous work and execute updated strategies for promoting Lethbridge in several key projects” mentioned Trevor Lewington, CEO, Economic Development Lethbridge. “We want to take the time to thank departing Board members for their time and knowledge, and also welcome new Board members, who we know will engage with our staff and have a direct impact shaping the future of EDL and the Lethbridge region.”

A complete list of the 2023 Board of Directors can be found on page 2 of this release.

For more information, contact:
Mark Neskar
Director, Marketing & Communications
Economic Development Lethbridge
mark@chooselethbridge.ca
403.393.6376

The 2023 Economic Development Lethbridge Board of Directors are:
*Denotes new Board member

Board Chair: Adriana Mercader
Vice Chair: Mayor Blaine Hyggen
Past President: Kevin Brees
Agriculture/Agri-Food: John Ross
Airport: Vacant
Arts, Culture & Entertainment: Vacant
Chamber of Commerce: Charlene Scheffelmair*
City of Lethbridge Councillor: John Middleton Hope (beginning April 1st)
City of Lethbridge Manager: Lloyd Brierley
Community & Social Services: Robin James
Construction: Evan Barr
Education: Allison Purcell
Environment: Shannon Frank
Financial & Professional Services: Terry Belisle
Health & Wellness: Dr. Steven Ha
Hospitality & Tourism: Jody Young*
Indigenous: Byron Jackson
Industrial & Manufacturing: Adriana Mercader
Lethbridge College: Jason Donkersgoed
Lethbridge County: Tory Campbell
Multicultural: Jan Gong
Non-profit: Sandra Mintz*
Real Estate & Development: Ken Harvie
Regional Economic Development Agencies: Bev Thornton
Retail: Jeremy Roden*
Sector-At-Large: Vacant
Seniors: Keith Sumner*
Sports/Recreation: Susan Eymann
Supply Chain & Logistics: Brent Peterson
Technology: Ed Limon
University of Lethbridge: Dr. Kerry Godfrey
Young Entrepreneur: Timothy Hachkowski
Young Professional: Ian Andrews