A new face will be at the head of the table for the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, continuing to lead the charge in advocating on a variety of important issues prevalent to Estevan's businesses.

At the Chamber's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, Board member Cathy Welta-Eagles officially took over the reins from outgoing President John Williams for the 2018 year.

"We have a really dynamic board that I get to work with, so it's really exciting to see where we've come from and where we're going to. I think I'm most excited to start with our new board matrix and setting up all of these different committees," she stated.

"John is a forward thinking, forward focused, community minded individual, and he has really set the bar high for what's to come. He's got us on the right path, and we're just going to follow suit."

 Welta-Eagles added that her favorite aspect of the Chamber is the variety of businesses involved, and how they are able to advocate for others in the community.

Williams expressed that the Chamber is in a good state at the moment. They've developed over the past few years, digging into and getting involved in the matters that have far reaching implications on the region. In addition, they've made a point to engage with and follow the wants of the members.

"That's the message going forward. We aim to continue with that, and also at the same time to engage more with our membership, to make sure we are fully in touch with our grassroots level," he said.

"Cathy's going to drive that engagement forward. Get in the Board to reach out to members of the community, be far more active and far more visible in their roles with the community. I've got a lot of confidence in Cathy, she's going to do fine."

Williams added that the focus on advocacy on major issues over the past few years was one of the highlights in his year as President.

"Establishing and building those high level relationships, both with our provincial administration, other provincial bodies and with the federal level, and getting the message heard at that level. It's not immediately apparent, when you are in the community down here, that all that work's going on in the background there."