Yeovil Chamber welcomes its first female president

Released On 21st Feb 2022

Valentine's Day 2022 saw a change in leadership of Yeovil Chamber as the impressive David Woan stepped down after 7 years in charge.

Jo paid tribute to Dave in her welcome speech giving thanks to 'Dave, his guidance, teachings and damned right energy are an inspiration to us all.  In a world where there is so much negativity and fear, Dave has relentlessly been a beacon of positivity and, at times, bloody-minded determination to prove the nay-sayers wrong and has tirelessly worked connecting businesses, individuals, organisations and the media to deliver a common goal – a better Yeovil.' And stating that 'It is this work that I hope to continue to deliver in the coming years, they are big shoes to fill.' 

She also thanked 'the wonderful Exec committee, the people who donate their time and energy into delivering this dream – freely, continuously, and selflessly.  It takes a special type of person to put aside their own personal or business ambitions and act impartially for the good of the whole business community.'

She then outlined her vision for the coming year as 'a pivotal year in Yeovil with many new projects and collaborations ready to set the business work alight.  As a chamber, we have grown from a networking group to a central point of contact for hundreds of people, stakeholders and businesses across the region.  As we continue this journey, we will build on the success of initiatives such as M-Hub, our manufacturing and engineering group, and reach out to the hospitality industry, a sector that has suffered over the last 2 years and needs a voice, we will also engage with our colleagues at YDH and in the community to set up a Social Care Hub, again modelling the successes of M-Hub and offering support to a network for our colleagues in social care.  2022 will also see the relaunch of MYN our trading estate initiative, which will help us engage with the hundreds of businesses based on the outskirts of our town who play a vital part in our joint growth and supply chains.  And lastly, we will celebrate our fantastic business communities with the second Yeovil Chamber Business Fair and the third Yeovil Chamber Business Awards both to be held later this year.'

If you would like to meet Jo please email president@yeovilchamber.org or call her on 01935 385912.