Economic Development Brandon Full Strength; Full Steam Ahead


January 14, 2015

Brandon, MB– Economic Development Brandon is pleased to be able to devote more dedicated staffing resources to implementing Brandon’s economic growth strategy, “Prosperity by Design”, with the recent hiring of former Westman resident Dan Fontaine into the vacant position of Business Development Specialist.

The Business Development Specialist position is one focused on proactively growing Brandon’s commercial and industrial base and creating employment opportunities in order to move the community closer to its vision of being a fiscally sustainable City with a growing and diversified economy.

Fontaine, who was raised and educated in the Brandon and Souris areas, brings to the position an exceptionally strong sales background, years of experience as a Development Officer in the area of Land Use Planning in Alberta, and strong ties with the military.

“Dan’s Westman roots, strong sales experience, familiarity with land use planning, and experience working with both developers and regulatory bodies will make him a great asset as we move forward with our ‘Prosperity by Design’ economic growth strategy,” noted Sandy Trudel, City of Brandon Director of Economic Development.

Fontaine likened his relocation from Alberta to Brandon as a bit of a homecoming, and noted he is looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead.

“Some time ago, my wife, Charlette, and I realized that we ‘Belong in Brandon’,” Fontaine shared. “We were keen to return home to Brandon to be closer to family and friends. For many years, I have been interested in moving my career from the regulatory side of development into the field of Economic Development, which is better suited to my personal interests, education, and work experience. This opportunity gave us the chance to do both.”

Fontaine began his role with the City of Brandon in late-December, and can be contacted via the Economic Development Brandon offices on the main floor of Brandon City Hall, 410-9th Street.

Meanwhile, the full “Prosperity by Design” economic growth strategy can be found online at www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com.