Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce president Harrison Humphries has made the difficult decision to step down as president.

Mr Humphries joined the board in 2016, and fulfilled the executive positions of secretary and vice president before being elected as president in 2019. He took over from Toowoomba Chamber leader, Joy Mingay, and led the chamber through the difficult times and devastating impacts on Toowoomba’s business community brought on by a global pandemic.

In 2021, Mr Humphries embraced the Toowoomba Chamber cause and grew its membership and sponsorship base through championing the chamber’s core objectives of advocacy, connection, and learning. Being the only nomination for president, Kate Venables was duly elected to the role at the chamber’s AGM on November 10.

“It has been both an honour and a privilege to serve the Toowoomba business community, and I wish Kate all the very best when she takes over as president. I’m confident she will do an amazing job,” Mr Humphries said. “It has been a pleasure to facilitate our members connecting with many supply chain opportunities, play a part in supporting local brands by overseeing the introduction of new chamber initiatives, and enhance Toowoomba’s reputation as the home of world-class businesses.

“Importantly, I am pleased to have continued to develop the foundations laid by previous chamber boards by investing in the chamber’s team and services to grow our relevance and effectiveness. It was with a heavy heart that I made the decision to relinquish the presidency, but juggling my various commitments and the impending birth of my second child meant something had to give,” Mr Humphries said.

Vice president Sam Wright said Mr Humphries has stood up for Toowoomba and the Toowoomba business community. “He navigated the ship through the turbulent waters of the past two years with a steady hand and determined focus. His legacy will speak for itself in years to come. He will be sadly and greatly missed,” Mr Wright said.

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