CBS hires headhunter to find business attraction director

By Craig Westcott

The Town of CBS is rejigging its economic development department so that the new director will also be charged with competing against other municipalities on the Avalon to attract business investment.

Corporate headhunting company Venor is being hired at a cost of $18,000 to recruit someone for the position, which came open ago after the Town’s longtime and respected director, Jennifer Lake, had to step aside to deal with a serious health challenge. The position has been filled on an interim basis for over a year.

“We’ve had some changes in the economic development department as we all know,” said Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse at last week’s public council meeting. “A couple of years ago we formed a partnership with Advantage St. John’s along with our neighbours the City of St. John’s and the Town of Paradise, and the mandate of Advantage of St. John’s is to help attract new investment opportunities to our region. But as a town we still have to compete with other municipalities in the region for those investment opportunities once there is business interest in coming here. This position will play an important role in regard to that and will report directly to our CAO (chief administrative officer).”

Gosse said it’s not a typical recruitment matter for the Town.

“This is something with a different focus and so it’s going to involve a bit of a different skill set,” she said. “That’s why we’re looking to Venor to do the recruitment for us.”