INNISFAIL – Award-winning regional business consultant Michelle Andrishak has been named the new executive director of the Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce.
“We hired an HR firm out of Calgary to help us with our search. We had candidates from Ontario. Several from Alberta. Some local; a nice mix of high-quality candidates,” said Blaine Staples, the chamber’s president.
Andrishak, 52, is from Rocky Mountain House and comes to Innisfail with more than 25 years experience that includes being a CFO of a financial institution, developing successful home-based businesses, communications consulting and going on international stages as a professional public speaker and entrepreneurial trainer.
She is also the chief executive officer of WOW! International Women In Business; an international community of women in business and leadership; committed to personal and professional development.
Her expertise has also earned several awards, including:
• Rocky Mountain House Chamber of Commerce – Customer Service Excellence Award (2015)
• Red Deer & District Community Foundation’s Woman of Excellence Award – business and professions category (2016)
• The Canadian Business Chicks Woman of Inspiration Award – Boss Chick Mentor category (2017)
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Award Nominee (2019)
• Women of Influence Award nominee RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneurs (2020 & 2021)
Coun. Janice Wing, Innisfail town council’s representative on the chamber board, said Andrishak’s appointment to lead the chamber into the future is a “home run” for the town.
“Michelle's got a lot of very relevant and important experience, and expertise, and connection. I think you can understand or appreciate that the executive director of the chamber has a very wide scope to their work,” said Wing, who was on the chamber’s selection committee to choose a new executive director. “Michelle has a very strong financial background. She has a lot of economic development experience.
“She's well connected from an economic development perspective into the Government of Alberta departments that are important for us to know about. She just truly brings a full body of expertise and experience with her to Innisfail. This is a homerun for us. This is great news.”
Andrishak is replacing the outgoing Carla Gabert as the chamber’s new executive director. She begins her new duties in Innisfail on Nov. 7.
When contacted by the Albertan on Oct. 30 Andrishak was travelling to the Innisfail and area with friends to view her new home and was clearly excited about becoming an Innisfailian.
“I'm really excited about the appointment because it allows me to serve the community with my experience, education and business acumen,” said Andrishak.
“And the reason why I'm excited about Innisfail is that it is such a beautiful welcoming community where I feel you can still have that small town; your neighbour type of atmosphere but still have a thriving, multi-industry community around you.”
