Medicine Hat, AB - The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted its annual Leadership Breakfast yesterday morning for Cypress-Medicine Hat, bringing together senior municipal leaders, along with community stakeholders, for a morning of dialogue, insight, and collaboration. 

The event featured an interactive Leadership Panel with senior representatives from the City of Medicine Hat, Cypress County, and the Town of Redcliff, including:

• Al Hoggan, Chief Administrative Officer, Cypress County
• Shanon Simon, Municipal Manager, Town of Redcliff
• Rochelle Pancoast – Managing Director, Energy, Land and Environment, City of Medicine Hat
• Pat Bohan – Managing Director, Development and Infrastructure, City of Medicine Hat
• Joseph Hutter – Managing Director, Public Services, City of Medicine Hat

The recent municipal election shifted this year's event format and focus. This event was traditionally the Mayor’s Breakfast, later evolving into a panel with elected representatives across the region. However, with this year's municipal election, the Chamber requested that Senior Leadership from the City of Medicine Hat, Cypress County, and Redcliff join and share their perspectives on the accomplishments they have seen within each municipality, as well as how they manage transitions during an election year. 

"It was a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the accomplishments and what administration has been working on, as well as finding out more about how municipalities transition during an election year", remarked Aaron Fleming, President of the local Chamber of Commerce.

Panellists discussed key measures of success and strategies for onboarding new council members with an emphasis on their commitment to serving their respective communities. 

CAO, Al Hoggan, concluded his presentation with energy for the new year, commenting, "It is time to check under its hood to see if any adjustments are needed. We will complete our new and improved Land Use Bylaw. We will continue to be a regional partner and leader, and most of all, we will do our best to ensure our residents have a quality place to live, to work, and to play, and that visitors to our municipality and region will fall in love with our people and our way of life."

The City of Medicine Hat provided a presentation highlighting areas of Energy, Land and Environment, Development and Infrastructure and key priorities in Public Services with Rochelle Pancoast, concluding, "Early in 2026, City Council will complete a new Strategic Plan and Administration will support the newly elected Council by developing the Business Plans and Budgets that will actively deliver on their Strategic Plans."

CAO, Shanon Simon shared their accomplishments through the work completed in the Town of Redcliff, along with highlighting the regional collaboration on the Southeast Alberta Economic Opportunities strategy and the annual events they have successfully delivered in Redcliff with the most recent event being the Fall Harvest Festival.

The Chamber extends its thanks to all speakers, attendees, and partners who made the 2025 Leadership Breakfast a success and is looking forward to hosting the next Leadership Breakfast in the Brooks-Newell region on November 5. For more information on upcoming events and initiatives, visit www.southeastalbertachamber.ca.

Please direct all media inquiries to:

Aaron Fleming, President
c/o Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce

(403) 527-5214 ext.225

The Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven, volunteer-led organization, proudly representing the interests of businesses in our region, and working diligently to stimulate a strengthened and vibrant economy through our connections, support and influence. For over 125 years, the Chamber has stood for promoting business, monitoring government and championing managed growth in the local economy. The Chamber represents close to 900 businesses in our region and is aligned with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC), which represents over 24,000 businesses, the Canadian Chambers of Commerce (CCC), which represents over 200,000 businesses and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), representing over 45 million companies in more than 170 countries. With the largest and most influential business organizations locally, provincially, federally and internationally, the Chamber network is the most unified, valued and influential business network in Canada and works together to shape policy and programs that will make a difference to businesses in our region.