Get To Know Our Alberta Executive of the Year Nominees!

Dianna de Sousa - Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce

Dianna de Sousa is a transformational leader who has redefined what effective Chamber leadership looks like for the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce. As Executive Director of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce since 2020, Dianna has turned a struggling organization into one of the fastest-growing Chambers in Canada. Under her leadership, the Chamber has seen a 50% increase in membership, a 400% increase in revenue, and a rise in member satisfaction from 56% to over 85%, with 99% of members now saying they would recommend the Chamber.

When she took the helm, the Chamber was facing significant financial challenges, with declining engagement and operational instability. Dianna initiated a bold turnaround plan grounded in strategic governance, data-informed decision-making, and a relentless focus on value creation for members. Through her leadership, the Chamber now operates with a strong financial foundation, clean audits, and an ambitious forward-looking vision that is already delivering results.

She has built and nurtured a growing internal team from a team of one to three full-time and one part-time staff. Dianna emphasizes professional development and collaboration, involving team members in annual business plan development and strategic planning through regular one-on-ones and team meetings. Her mentorship has directly contributed to the growth of staff, including one promotion to a more senior role.

A strong believer in continuous improvement and innovation, Dianna has modernized the Chamber’s operations through internal compliance policy and process upgrades. She spearheaded the launch of the Chamber mobile app, expanded the use of ChamberMaster to better track customer relationships, and oversaw a full redesign and relaunch of the Chamber’s website to improve user experience, digital engagement, and communications.

Her approach to member retention and growth is deeply member-centric. Dianna introduced regular membership surveys that guide the Chamber’s programming, advocacy, and communications strategies. By aligning offerings directly with member needs and clearly communicating progress, she has strengthened member engagement and retention. These efforts have positioned the Chamber as a trusted partner and advocate for businesses of all sizes across the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region.

At the provincial and national levels, Dianna has elevated the Fort McMurray Chamber’s influence through policy advocacy and network leadership. She currently serves on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada (CCEC) and its Governance Committee, where she contributes to shaping best practices and supporting executive peers across the country. In 2023, she led the Fort McMurray Chamber’s successful hosting of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) AGM and Policy Plenary — a major milestone that further amplified the Chamber’s voice and visibility within the broader network.

Her advocacy record is equally impressive. The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce under her stewardship has sponsored and co-sponsored numerous impactful policies adopted by the provincial and national chamber networks. These include support for a National Workforce Strategy and the positioning of Canada’s oil and gas industry as one of the most ESG-compliant in the world. Her policy leadership reflects her deep understanding of both local and sectoral business needs.

Locally, Dianna is a force for economic development and community collaboration. She chairs the Mayor’s Business Advisory Committee, where she has played a key role in recommending and seeing implemented several business attraction and retention initiatives for the region. She also co-chairs a cross-sector interagency committee comprising all major economic, social, and municipal partners in the region, working to align priorities and respond cohesively to shared challenges.

In response to increasing concerns about safety and business viability downtown, Dianna founded the Business Crime Watch initiative in collaboration with the RCMP, the City of Fort McMurray, and local business owners. This initiative has already resulted in a measurable reduction in downtown crime, reinforcing the Chamber’s position as a proactive community problem solver.

As part of her commitment to long-term workforce and economic development, Dianna also founded the Regional Labour Market Committee — a collaborative group focused on identifying skills gaps, supporting local training pathways, and attracting talent to the region. Her recent launch of the Executive Women Collective Event has created space for professional women across sectors to engage in leadership development, peer learning, and mentorship, further reinforcing her belief in inclusive leadership.

Her leadership philosophy — “If you’re not working to change it, you’re accepting it” — speaks to her values of courage, advocacy, and transformation. Whether addressing policy reform, operational efficiency, or community safety, Dianna brings bold, collaborative solutions to the table and works relentlessly until progress is made.

In addition to her Chamber role, Dianna serves as a contract instructor in management at Keyano College, where she is proud to influence and empower the next generation of leaders. She was recently named Instructor of the Year at Keyano and was also selected as a 2024/2025 Woman of Inspiration by Girls Inc. of Wood Buffalo for her ongoing contributions to equity, leadership, and economic empowerment.

Under her leadership, the Fort McMurray Chamber won ACC’s Alberta’s Large Chamber of the Year Award in 2023, as well as Best Trade Show (2024) from YMM Weekly. The Chamber’s membership now exceeds 640 and continues to grow steadily.

Dianna also maintains close collaboration with the municipality, industry, and educational institutions. She has championed initiatives that support new resident attraction, including the launch of a limited-edition Wood Buffalo Bucks program in partnership with Pathways Alliance to benefit local businesses and foster community connection. She regularly participates in ACC and CCC network events, and lends her expertise to peers as requested across the chamber network.

From organizational turnaround to provincial influence and deep-rooted community leadership, Dianna de Sousa is a results-driven, values-based Chamber executive whose impact is being felt across the region and province. Her vision is clear: chambers can and should be catalysts for economic resilience, inclusive growth, and bold leadership — and under her guidance, the Fort McMurray Chamber is proving just that.

 

Dawn LeMaistre - Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce

With a deep commitment to chamber excellence and a passion for elevating business communities, Dawn LeMaistre has been proudly serving as the Executive Director of the Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce for the past four years, where innovation, collaboration, and meaningful member engagement are always at the forefront.

Under Dawn’s leadership, the Okotoks Chamber has experienced transformative growth and recognition, recently being named the 2024 Medium-Sized Chamber of the Year. Membership has seen a consistent net monthly increase in membership over the past 18 months.  This combined with seeking new value-added elements for her local members by partnering with the Chamber PERKS app, the Okotoks Chamber continues to give value to membership, bringing the organization to its highest membership level in five years. The Chamber has also expanded its team, now supporting one full-time and two part-time staff members — a testament to its strengthened financial position and Dawn’s strategic direction.

A proud and active participant in the broader chamber network, Dawn has made significant contributions to the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC), Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), and Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada (CCEC). She has been an engaged voice in policy development and a consistent presence on the policy floor, advocating for meaningful change and representing the voice of local business at provincial and national levels.  This combined with her continued involvement with weekly, monthly, and quarterly engagements and in-person events with each of these networks and her board position with the Alberta Chapter of CCEA, she continues to work hard to make things better for her colleagues throughout the province.    

Dawn has also played a pivotal role over the past 2 ½ years with a pilot project of ACC, helping to shape and develop the new Chamber Platform, including a CRM and website solution designed to enhance chamber operations for fellow chambers across the province. The Okotoks Chamber's feedback and participation have been instrumental in the platform’s evolution and functionality — an example of Dawn's forward-thinking leadership and dedication to strengthening the chamber network.

Innovating the way chambers engage with members, Dawn led a shift away from traditional monthly meetings toward seven high-impact signature events, including an annual Business Celebration Gala, the largest Trade & Lifestyle Show in the Foothills, and two new monthly FREE networking events for her members to get engaged.  She has also prioritized regional collaboration by partnering with nearby chambers on events such as golf tournaments, political forums, and AGM support — fostering unity and stronger connections across the business community.

In 2024, Dawn proudly earned her Accredited Chamber Executive (ACE) designation, which was awarded at the CCC AGM in Halifax, marking a significant personal and professional achievement. Outside of her chamber role, Dawn remains deeply invested in her community as a Rotarian with the Okotoks Rotary Club, where she co-chairs the beloved annual Soapbox Derby, and sits as a director for the local Junior B Hockey organization. 

Dawn’s vision, dedication, and collaborative spirit make her an outstanding candidate for Executive of the Year. Her unwavering commitment to chamber excellence continues to inspire peers and create real, lasting impact in her community.

 

Lisa Szabon - Smith - High River Chamber of Commerce

Lisa Szabon-Smith has been with the High River Chamber of Commerce for 3 years, has worked hard to repair a damaged reputation from years past. She was immediately tasked to finalize the Shop Local campaign started by a previous employee and did so with great success. In her first 6 months she attracted nearly double the membership at the start of her employment and helped save the Chamber hundreds of dollars each month in unnecessary expenses.

Through increased communication and marketing efforts the High River Chamber has revitalized community engagement, brought back the annual trade show - with a spin - and is constantly investigating new and unique ways to attract and retain members. This could be through the member to member Chamber Rewards program, a possible Work/Learn Retreat for business operators and bringing back natural networking with Monthly Mingle events at chamber member businesses around town.

The biggest achievement has been a unanimous vote on their “Film and Television: Location "Bump Up" provincial policy in 2023 and receiving the Chamber of the Year Award in the same year. What they are most excited for however, is the impactful Agriculture focused policies that we are bringing to the federal level as well as having a strong voice in the room when discussing policies and possibilities for Alberta business.

Over the past years Lisa has successfully attracted an incredible group of directors committed to the success and professional image of the Chamber. Directors that are eager to help, step in when necessary and support the fulfillment of their mandate to the business community - to provide opportunities for business owners to build their knowledge, network and resilience. As the only part-time employee, Lisa has successfully met this challenge.

When it comes to retention and growth Lisa’s focus is very organic—welcome new businesses when they open, let them know that the chamber is a resource and ready for them when they are. For longstanding businesses the chamber provides a lot of information openly - whether they members or not - and work hard to build the trust required for a business to give up hard earned resources for a membership. Then the chamber nurtures the relationship through direct contact, open communication and encouragement for them to succeed. Through the board of Directors, the chamber also capitalizes on their relationships for inviting new members to join - which has proven highly successful. Less sales, more relationships.

We are heavily involved in the policy realm, locally and beyond, and pride ourselves in acting as a voice for our business communities. We have worked with our county in regards to land use bylaws and permitting for farm/acreage based businesses, encouraged our Town to hire a dedicated Economic Development Officer/employee to focus on business retention, and currently have a policy submitted for the federal level encouraging an economic scope within the Health Canada divisions when developing new agriculturally focused regulations. Next up the chamber will be investigating a provincial “Lemon Law” policy for 2026 as well as potentially an Agriculture policy(ies) to help bring product production back to Alberta, across all regions.

When budgets allow, Lisa attends ACC events and aims to attend the weekly network calls as much as possible. She also endeavours to attend the CCEC events when the schedule allows. That said, at all of the annual AGMs the CCEC events are top of the list for attendance. Personally, Lisa is a mom of a busy youth athlete. She volunteers as an official for the Alberta Summer Swimming Association swim meets, just this year was an assistant coach for our U12 Ringette team and works with a not-for-profit organization that educates Albertans about the strength of Alberta and all of her resources, not just oil and gas. Lisa also plays competitive women’s volleyball and swims competitively.