Grande Prairie Served as Host to the 2023 BREI Annual Conference

Nearly 100 business retention and expansion professionals attendees the 2023 BREI Annual Conference in Grande Prairie, Alberta.  Attendance consisted of a mix of both in-person and virtual attendees.  Expert speakers from across Canada, the US, and Australia made up an agenda that provided attendees with expert strategies and updates to the field of BRE.  

Topics included workforce innovation, housing, combating brain drain, supply chain management, artificial intelligence, business continuity and much more.  In addition, the popular Fundamentals Course was held in-person for the first time since 2019.

During the annual business meeting, new officers were inducted including:

2023-2024 President
Dennis Williamson II, PCED, BREC, CWDP
Fort Smith, Arkansas

At Large

Tim Smith, BREC
Longview, Texas

Melody Lockwood, CEcD
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Alia Abbas, BREC
Toronto, Ontario

The BREI Awards of Excellence were also distributed to deserving applicants, including:

Outstanding Single Community With a Population Under 20,000 + Impact Award
Kilgore Economic Development Corporation
Kilgore, Texas
Project: Halliburton Property Redevelopment/Skeeter Boats Expansion

Outstanding Single Community With a Population 20,000-50,000
Town of Okotoks
Okotoks, Alberta
Project: Town of Okotoks Success Stories Program

Outstanding Single Community With a Population Over 50,000
City of Converse Economic Development Corporation
Converse, Texas
Project: BRE Regional Partnership

Outstanding Multi Community With a Population Under 50,000
Town of Edson and Community Futures West Yellowhead (CFWY)
Edson, Alberta
Project: Community Futures West Yellowhead Regional Triage Report

2022-2023 president Jason Guidry, BREP, delivered remarks throughout the conference and emceed along with board members Tara de Munnik, BREC, and Alan Barefield, PhD, MBREP.  Hetti Hulls served as the chair of the conference committee, which put in tireless hours preparing the conference and assisting with the on-site logistics.

BREI is thankful for all participants and the work of the board and planning committee to make this conference a success.  The date and location of the 2024 conference will be announced soon.