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Governance Group recruiting new players to include greater representation of small enterprises, women and the north

The New Brunswick Business Council is ramping up its work to help make the province the best jurisdiction in the country to start and grow a company, the organization's new chairman said.

Derek Oland, who has taken the reins for a one-year term, said the group is expanding its mandate and including greater representation from small enterprises, women and the north.

"We have been doing quite a bit of thinking about the future of the council and we want to move it into more of an active mode," Oland said in an interview Thursday.

"We have to increase the skill level of our entrepreneurs and bring as many of them into an active forum as well because that's going to be the long-term answer for the province."

Oland, the chairman of Moosehead Breweries Ltd., replaces Denis Loser, president and CEO of Assumption Life.

The business council formed in 2005 and currently has 20 members; under its reorganization as many as 30 members could be included.

Oland said he is the midst of recruiting new players to the team, many of whom will come from the province's north to reflect the business group's focus on the region.

The council commissioned a study on northern New Brunswick and submitted a report with recommendations to the province, but Oland said the council is launching its own programs, too, which are currently being planned.

"My theory behind it is that we have to make sure that we get a group of people from the north to get together to develop what they want to do up there and what works for them," he said.

"Nobody, in my mind, in government or from the business council can tell them what should happen up there.

"Once they know what they want to do and it works, we'll help them get what they want."

Don Dennison, who has served as executive director since the council's formation, will leave in the fall and be replaced by a new president and CEO, whose role in working with government will be expanded.

"Don Dennison has been an absolutely wonderful executive director and I can't say enough of the leadership he's provided," Oland said.

The new chief executive will be an "independent voice" for the council, Oland said, and one who will bring the greater business community together to share best practices.

Overall council membership has shuffled somewhat over the last year.

Karen Sheriff - who took over as president and CEO of Bell Aliant (TSX:BA.UN) last October - joined, replacing the telecommunications company's former chief executive, Stephen Wetmore.

Dick Carpenter, the president of Heritage Developments Ltd., completed his three-year term this week and will not seek another.

John McLaughlin, who will be replaced as president and vice-chancellor of the University of New Brunswick by Eddy Campbell - the acting president of Memorial University of Newfoundland - will no longer serve on the council.

The group's next quarterly meeting will take place in Saint John on Oct. 7.

Current membership of the New Brunswick Business Council

Wesley Armour, president, Armour Transportation Systems

Ed Barrett, co-chief executive officer, Barrett Corp.

Normand Caissie, president and CEO, Imperial Manufacturing Group

Michelle Carinci, president and CEO, Atlantic Lottery Corp.

Andrea Feunekes, co-CEO, Remsoft Inc.

Yvon Fontaine, president and vice-chancellor, Université de Moncton

David Ganong, chairman, Ganong Bros. Ltd.

David Hay, president, NB Power

Bernard Imbeault, chairman, Imvescor Inc.

Jim Irving, president, J.D. Irving, Limited

Denis Losier, president and CEO, Assumption Life

Allison McCain, chairman, McCain Foods Ltd.

Francis McGuire, president and CEO, Major Drilling Group International Inc.

Derek Oland, chairman, Moosehead Breweries Ltd.

Gerry Pond, chairman, Mariner Partners Inc.

Jean-Claude Savoie, president, Groupe Savoie Inc.

Karen Sheriff, president and CEO, Bell Aliant

Kelly Shotbolt, president and CEO, Flakeboard Company Ltd.

Robbie Tozer, president and CEO, Atcon Group Inc.

Michael Wilson, president, Atlantic Industries Ltd.