ENGAGE O C T O B E R — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 Board Message INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Board of Directors 2 General Meeting/ 3 Job Grant 4 Events Update 5/6 We would like to thank the departing Directors, Massey Whiteknife, Vance Mendrikis and Billy Graham for their tireless dedication to NAABA and the committees they supported. During the voting at the AGM Tyrone Brass, Justin Herman, Paul Drever and Richard Saari were elected to serve as Directors for the next 2 years. I would also like to thank the remaining board who have worked very hard over the last year, planning for the future of NAABA and the direction we get from the full members. The AGM was an exciting evening as it was emceed by Canadian Aboriginal Actor Lorne Cardinal (best known for his role in Corner Gas) who most definitely added to the entertainment value of the 2014 NAABA AGM! His use of tasteful humor and sharp wit kept the attention of the audience throughout the event. NAABA also presented the Best Practice Indicator (BPI) Awards for the first time which has taken place over the Partner in Progress and Pathfinder in Prosperity Awards, where in the past were only awarded to one Full and one Industry member. The new BPI awards now have 6 categories which include small and large Full members, small and large Associate, EPC and Industry Awards. The awards process was changed from a nomination process to a performance driven one. The new BPI system allows NAABA to measure performance throughout the year in several categories and also includes all of our membership to participate in the awards. It was designed using the similar methods and principles of Key Performance Indicator’s (KPI) which ultimately measures performance and due diligence therefore the more engagement NAABA and Aboriginal businesses, the higher the score will be. It’s been an exciting year with NAABA with all the past events throughout the season. We recently hosted the 5th annual Wine and Cheese reception in Calgary with Industry and EPC companies. It was one of the best turnouts and I encourage all Full members to attend as we invite management and procurement teams to meet face to face with the Full members. This is the first year we had a Wine and Cheese reception in Edmonton with EPC, large contractor and Full member companies. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to attend these functions as it gives you the opportunity to directly promote your business to the right people. On April 16, 2014 we will host our 8th Annual Aboriginal Business Showcase at MacDonald Island Park. This is a great opportunity for our Full Members to showcase their business to Industry and other Associate Members in a trade-show style. It is an excellent networking opportunity for NAABA Full Members, Industry procurement and nonprofit groups who work with Aboriginal businesses. Through this exposure, in addition to an evening networking reception, business relations can be explored, established, maintained and strengthened. We also offer our popular Speed Networking circle where participating Full Members have the chance to promote their company directly to Industry representatives. The Aboriginal Business Showcase also includes a community driven aspect. It provides mentorship opportunities for students who are enrolled in the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Programs. These young people will have the chance to learn about the businesses from the experts and observe business interactions and relations. You definitely do not want to miss out on this event. In addition to our larger events, just a reminder that we have monthly General Meetings and I encourage NAABA Full Members to take advantage of the great opportunity to do a short presentation to our membership. What a great way to promote your company to NAABA Members including Full, Associate and IndusMitch Mercredi, President try. (Acden Group Ltd., Business Development Manager) 2014/2015 NAABA Board of Directors President: Mitch Mercredi Acden Group Ltd. Secretary/Treasurer: Tyrone Brass Bayzik Electrical, Valve & Instrumentation Inc. Director: Paul Drever Wayver Rentals Inc. 1st Vice President: Lloyd Antoine A. P. E. Maintenance Ltd. 2nd Vice President: Adam Tatum MXC Automotive Services Director: Todd Pruden Athabasca Workforce Solutions Director: Floyd Gladue NIPI Services (2007) Inc. Director: Justin Herman Saskana Safety Ltd. Director: Richard Saari Saari Consulting Ltd. PAGE 3 Upcoming General Meeting dates: October 23, 2014 Sponsored by Noralta Lodge Ltd. 4 - 6 pm at Noralta Lodge November 20, 2014 Sponsored by CNOOC Nexen 4 - 6 pm location TBD January 20, 2014 Sponsored by MMM Geomatics Alberta Limited 4 - 6 pm location TBD May 20, 2015 Sponsored by CNOOC Nexen General Meetings The first General Meeting after the AGM was sponsored by Noralta Lodge Ltd. in the Lynx Lodge at Noralta Lodge Fort McMurray Village. Corey Smith, President and CEO presented on behalf of Noralta Lodge. The presentation covered the background and history of the company, as well as growth and expansions that Noralta Lodge has been steadily achieving over the past two years. Corey also discussed the current services they offer and the leading role that Noralta Lodge is playing in the lodging industry in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Corey addressed the involvement of Noralta Lodge with the community in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and the neighboring communities, with a focus on community partnerships and involvements with Western Canada Summer Games, the Aboriginal community, NAABA and the Wood Buffalo Food Bank. Further, Corey spoke to Noralta Lodge’s partnership with Christina River Enterprises and shed light on upcoming initiatives of this partnership, including the most recent proposed addition to the Noralta Lodge lodging family Willow Lake Lodge which will service the south of Fort McMurray areas on Fort McMurray No. 468 First Nation land and the benefits to industry and communities south of Fort McMurray. After the presentation there was a comprehensive tour of the Lynx Lodge and then an amazing and very delicious assortment of hors d’oeurves specially prepared by their Red Seal Chefs! (It will be difficult to go back to soup and sandwiches). Candice Crossley, Career and Cooperative Education Coordinator at Keyano College held a presentation about Career Services for Employers. Employers can recruit Keyano students and/or recent graduates. The co-operative education (co-op) program is designed to assist students in gaining paid, full-time work experience in their field of study, while fulfilling the short term recruiting needs of employers. Students make positive contributions to the organization through planned, supervised work terms. Through co-op, employers have the opportunity to recruit bright, ambitious students that are proactively invested in preparing for their career. Whether you are looking to evaluate potential future employees or would like assistance for projects or short term coverage, co-op students can be an integral component within your recruiting strategies. By hiring a co-op student, you’ll become a partner in education while benefiting from students’ ideas, energy and skills. I coordinate coop placements for the Business Administration, Office Administration and Environmental Technology diploma programs. So whether you hire a summer student, a coop student or a recent graduate, you will be investing in your company’s future, investing in a student’s future. You should hire a student! PAGE Canada-Alberta Job Grant Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant Looking for workers with the right skills? The Canada-Alberta Job Grant can help fund training for your new or current employees. You identify the skills your business needs Choose your trainee and an eligible trainer Canada-Alberta Job Grant reimburses up to 2/3 of your training costs - up to $10,000 per individual For more information on the Canada-Alberta Job grant, including eligibility guidelines and application forms go to: AlbertaCanada.com/jobgrant Or contact your local Workforce Consultant who can assist you: Melonie Doucette [email protected] Office: 780 743 7147 Cell: 587 646 3461 Vanessa Cheeseman [email protected] Office: 780 743 7431 Cell: 780 370 0813 4 Events Update On September 25th we held the 21st Annual General Meeting, which was a sold out event! Lorne Cardinal, Actor from the show Corner Gas was our emcee for the evening and kept things hopping for us. Those who were there can attest to the fact that the evening was full of entertainment, great food, some suspense, recognition, generosity and of course networking! As is customary, the 2014-15 NAABA Board of Directors were elected and are as follows: Lloyd Antoine, Tyrone Brass, Paul Drever, Floyd Gladue, Justin Herman, Mitch Mercredi, Todd Pruden, Richard Saari and Adam Tatum. Congratulations to all! This year marked the first of the NAABA Best Practise Indicator Awards. Congratulations goes out to all of those companies who were in the running for one of the six awards. The winners of the awards are as follows: Full Member Small Business Stone Eagle Electrical Supply Full Member Large Business Surmont Sand & Gravel Ltd. Associate Member Small Business Roughrider International Associate Member Large Business Tervita Corporation Associate Member EPC Norwest Corporation Associate Member Industry Japan Canada Oilsands Limited a Continuation of AGM As the first successful recipients, you have now become a significant part of NAABA history! An event would not happen without the sponsoring companies. Many thanks to Syncrude Canada, who was the Presenting Sponsor and to the following companies: Noralta Lodge, Suncor Energy, Athabasca Oilsands Corporation, ConocoPhillips Canada, CNRL, Nexen CNOOC, MXC Automotive Services, Finning International and HRPO Group of Companies for their generous contributions to this great event. For those who did not attend, mark your calendars for September 27, 2015 and be sure to get tickets for next year! October is a busy month as we have just released the 2015 Sponsorship Packages and we have created some additional sponsorship opportunities this year, including the first ever NAABA Calendar Sponsorship! This is a full color, 13 month calendar that will give sponsoring companies the opportunity to be a featured company on a full calendar page, or advertising on full banners, ½ banners and/ or single logos! The deadline for this is October 31st and it will be ready for distribution by the 3rd week of November. In total there will be 500 copies distributed, which will include NAABA members and other businesses in the community. Get in on this opportunity now, as spaces are limited! For prices, order forms and any questions, give Pam a call! Our upcoming events will be the Aboriginal Women in Business on March 5, 2015 which will once again be hosted as a luncheon. The Aboriginal Business Showcase will be held on April 16, 2015. After receiving feedback from last year, we have made some changes to the format of the 2015 Showcase. We will continue to have Speed Networking, and the Showcase portion occurring during the day, and then an evening networking reception as a separate event. We will be joined by Mr. D. J. “Eagle Bear” Vanas, who is a motivated Aboriginal entrepreneur, author and professional speaker. It has now been one year since Pam has moved into this position as the Events Coordinator at NAABA, and in that time she has met amazing people and learned many things! The generosity and enthusiasm for the NAABA Events is remarkable! For more information about the Sponsorship Packages or any of the events, please do not hesitate to contact her. Wine & Cheese Receptions Since 2012 we have hosted Wine and Cheese Receptions twice a year in Calgary with Industry and Full Members. The feedback has been very positive therefore we will continue to host these. This is a win win networking option as it gives both our Full Members and Procurement teams with Industry a chance to speak face to face to discuss potential work opportunities. Because of the huge success in Calgary, we are now hosting Wine & Cheese Receptions in Edmonton twice a year as well for the EPC companies, large contractors and Full Members. Our Wine and Cheese Receptions are a great way to connect with existing and future clients. 425 Gregoire Drive, Suite 100, Fort McMurray AB T9H 4K7 phone: 780-791-0478, email: [email protected]