Mariano Tulipano handed over the reins of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce to Peggy Foley Thursday night.
Local business leaders gathered at Fern Resort in Ramara Township for the chamber's 128th annual dinner, where Tulipano reflected on the previous year's successes.
His pet project for his term as president was a program to encourage young entrepreneurs in the area. One of the incentives was to offer them free membership in the chamber.
Despite it being a tough time to go into businesses, "we have a batch of young entrepreneurs who are starting new businesses," Tulipano told the audience. "In combination with their youth, they have determination."
While incoming chamber presidents traditionally have focused on a specific project to tackle during their terms, Foley, a mortgage specialist at Meridian Credit Union, has different priorities.
"It's about taking care of business," she told OrilliaMatters. "We've agreed, as an executive, that we're not in a position to take on new projects."
That's because the chamber already has a lot on its plate for the next year.
Managing director Susan Lang is retiring in March, after more than 20 years with the chamber, and the organization is in negotiations regarding a new location for its offices, which will be relocating from the current site at 150 Front St. S.
However, Foley is hopeful Tulipano's initiative will continue to gain steam.
"You see the value of young business owners getting involved with the chamber," she said.
It wasn't all business at Thursday night's event. Port Dover native Lucas Wilson, an illusionist who holds four Guinness World Records, put on a show for the crowd after dinner.
