New chair of the Board of Trade in St. John’s, Anna Cook, says the organization is healthy, well connected with members throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and ready to offer “valuable information” on business concerns for the new government.

“The Board (of Trade) has always been a strong advocate for the voice of our members. We listen to our members. And that to me is really valuable information and intelligence for the new government as they try to lead,” Cook told reporters this week, at a gathering for her swearing in, also acknowledging the rest of the organization’s 2026 board of directors.

There are a number of active files when it comes to the Board’s advocacy, many speaking to the significance of the province’s small and medium-sized enterprises. In a pre-budget submission, the Board noted the province has nearly 13,000 small businesses (98.4 per cent of all businesses), with nearly 10,000 in small and rural towns. And there are “mounting pressures on businesses in light of increasing costs and ongoing economic uncertainty.”

With this in mind, and considering direct input from its members, the Board is asking for follow-through on government commitments to reduce red tape. It’s offering to produce an “action plan” report to help the effort (estimated at $60,000). It’s also seeking a continuation of the Wage Support Program (a program offering one-time assistance payments to employers of $2,500-$7,500, depending on business size). That program helped 550 businesses last year, per the Board, with 64 per cent of applications from employers outside of the St. John’s metro area. A continuation would need a $2.73 million commitment.

The Board of Trade is continuing to call on the province to move forward on major projects including the Bay du Nord offshore oil project and Churchill River power developments. While there may be updates any day on the files, more on both developments can be found in the next print issue of Atlantic Business Magazine, available March 1.

Cook said the Board stands ready to help its members steer the province to success.

Ready to lead

A partner in the St. John’s office of Cox & Palmer in her day-to-day, Cook has extensive experience in corporate practice and commercial law. She isn’t the face of the Board, typically heard and seen in local media. That work continues to fall to CEO AnnMarie Boudreau. However, Cook will be leading inside the organization, working with the rest of the board of directors on the Board of Trade’s overall health and direction. The board represents people leading more than 800 businesses throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

It’s not always easy to assure the health of any advocacy organization in Atlantic Canada. There’s a need for consistency in their public messaging and advocacy, something Cook said the Board of Trade thankfully has, and values having, with Boudreau. Yet organizations can also struggle with filling board positions with the right mix of people, who are committed to fulfill their terms but also engaged, offering the most from their skill sets. The signs aren’t there with the Board of Trade.

Cook’s move into the role of chair at the St. John’s Board of Trade reflects a system of advancement within the board of directors, an overt effort of the Board of Trade to establish and maintain organizational stability. Stepping into the executive, as Cook did, there is often natural movement through roles of second vice-chair, vice-chair, chair, past chair. The multi-year commitments help to assure consistency in everything from how the board connects with members to member services to policy positions and advocacy.

Cook joined the board of directors, she estimated, about seven years ago. “And roughly at that time my kids were getting to the age I could take on a little bit more in the province and a little bit more in the community. The Board of Trade was a bit of a natural fit for me because it was a fit with my practice as well,” she said, recalling why she volunteered in the first place.

She said she made the commitment to the executive roles because she was ready and willing to be more involved. In a brief speech following her swearing in, she spoke about the challenges faced by businesspeople and the importance of having support. “I liked what the board was doing and wanted to be a little bit of a part of steering it and guiding it,” she told Atlantic Business Magazine.

St. John’s Board of Trade 2026 Board of Directors:

Chair – Anna Cook

Vice-chair – Geoff Spencer

Second vice-chair – Karen Veitch

Immediate past chair – Byron Chubbs

Treasurer – Tarah Schulz

Ex-Officio and CEO – AnnMarie Boudreau

Directors – Marsha Burke, Farrah Carrim, Steve Clark, Paul Grant, Constanza Safatle, Chris Sparkes, Judy Sparkes-Giannou and Scott Vatcher

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