The Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) Board of Directors
confirms the following administrative change to our operating structure:
The Vancouver Economic Commission continues to evolve the organization’s structure, further unifying VEC with:
- Economic priorities for the City of Vancouver and The Vancouver Plan, a strategic, long-term and city-wide roadmap to guide our city to 2050 and beyond, and
- Metro Vancouver’s Regional Economic Prosperity Service, a regional economic development alliance.
With VEC CEO Catherine Warren’s contract winding up at the end of February 2020, the VEC Board has appointed Eleena Marley, Associate Director, Business Planning & Project Support, COV, to serve as VEC’s Acting CEO ahead of the Board commencing recruitment for a permanent CEO.
VEC remains an independent agency of the city and will continue to evolve its priorities to align and best support the local economy and collaborate with key regional, national and international stakeholders. The Board will soon commence a nomination process for the Vancouver Economic Development Advisory Board.
“On behalf of the VEC Board and the City of Vancouver, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Catherine for her significant efforts since August 2018, recognizing that her business expertise and global network enhanced VEC at a critical time for Vancouver’s economic prosperity and her work with VEC has built a strong foundation for this transition. Under Catherine’s leadership the team achieved a number of major accomplishments, including attracting over $3 billion in high impact investment for Vancouver, strengthening economic development ties and attracting funding through federal, provincial and corporate relationships, as well as capacity-building for emerging sectors such as Cleantech, AI, Entertainment and ESports, and social purpose businesses,” said VEC Board Chair and Vancouver City Manager Sadhu Johnston.
“It’s always been an exceptional honour to represent and develop Vancouver’s economic diversity and bench-strength, together with VEC’s expert team, committed Board and in our collaborations at home and abroad. As Vancouverites, we can look forward to the decade ahead with confidence. Our business leaders, regional partners and City Council continue to accelerate local economic resilience, world-class innovation and action on the global climate emergency,” said Warren.
VEC is building a prosperous, inclusive and resilient economy for Vancouver, its businesses and its residents. As the economic development agency for the City of Vancouver, VEC strengthens communities by supporting local companies, attracting high-impact investment and promoting international trade in the world’s fastest-growing, low-carbon economy. VEC works collaboratively to position Vancouver as a global destination for innovative, creative, diverse and sustainable development.
We respectfully acknowledge that the Vancouver Economic Commission is located on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish Nations.
