The Thompson Neighbhourhood Renewal Corporation held its 21st annual general meeting on Sept. 27 at the Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre.
The TNRC, established in 2001, has been a leader in community development in Thompson for over 20 years. As with many organization, the TNRC has had a couple of challenging years with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its resources and service delivery and the loss of its prior executive director and the difficulties in finding a replacement with the experience and skills that the board felt was a necessity for their operations.
Board chair Dee Chaboyer announced their new executive director, Oswald Sawh in her report at the AGM.
“Oswald Sawh had had close to 30 years experience, many of those years in a leadership position, in community economic development prior to his retirement from the province of Manitoba. He has also been very active in working with community-based service organizations and understands the importance of the TNRC supporting and leveraging their resources for the greater good of Thompson,” said Chaboyer.
One of the first things Sawh will be working on putting together is the TNRC’s new five-year plan that will help guide their operations.
Sawh, who served on the TNRC board of directors for close to eight years starting in 2002, reflected on the process.
“I look forward to working with our board of directors, the residents of Thompson, and our stakeholders as we go through the process of putting together and operationalizing the TNRC’s new five-year plan,” he said. “The intent of renewal corporations upon their formation was to be a grassroots community development agency that acts upon local priorities for the betterment of the community. Thompson’s previous five-year priorities for 2016 to 2021were in safety, beautification and cleanliness, economic development, youth, and housing. The TNRC is in the process of completing its new plan through consultation with the residents and our stakeholders. This plan will be used to prioritize TNRC’s focus as it collaborates with our partners and residents for the betterment of Thompson.”
The TNRC also voted in their 2022-23 board of directors that includes Erric Beaulieu, Jim Beardy, Melissa Branconnier, Chaboyer, Nina Cordell, Loretta Dykun, Michele Nichol and Jack Robinson.
