New CEO to fight for city’s small business
Bender joins the chamber as new executive
THE new CEO of Toowoomba’s major small business lobby group has vowed to be assertive and progressive in advocating for “the powerhouse of the regional economy”.
Debbie-Anne Bender has formally taken over as CEO of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, after long-term incumbent Jo Sheppard revealed she would move to take up role at the University of Southern Queensland.
Ms Bender, who has a background in business, was previously the CEO of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce for two years.
While still settling into the role, she said making the lives of small businesses easier would be a top priority under her leadership.
“One thing we want to make sure and really clear is that the chamber will always stand up for businesses. First, and foremost, businesses come first,” Ms Bender said.
“So if there’s something that needs addressing, we’ll certainly be very progressive in making sure that we push for the business community.
“For any region, small business is the economic powerhouse to increase the region’s growth, so we’ve got to make sure that we help businesses grow.”
Ms Bender’s appointment comes as the region enjoys a prosperous and diverse economy, but includes complaints from the business community around the effect of government interference and payroll taxes.
“With any businesses in any regional town, you’ll find that’s all that red tape is a major issue, as well as trying to make sure that their lives are actually easier rather than harder,” she said.
“We need to also make sure we’re not just looking down the road, we’re actually looking years ahead into the future.”
Going from the sunny coastlines of Far North Queensland to the Toowoomba Range was always going to bring some climatic issues, and Ms Bender said the cold weather wasn’t lost on her.
“I think we’ll have to call it crisp, it’s a little bit different in the weather, that’s for sure,” she said.
“I think it got as low as 13C at night time in Far North Queensland, and I’m pretty sure I’ve experienced zero already in Toowoomba.”
Along with her role at USQ, Ms Sheppard will also join the board of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce.