For the first time in a quarter-century, Susan Lang will get to enjoy a summer vacation.
The managing director of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce will retire March 29, after 25-and-a-half years on the job.
Unlike other chambers of commerce, Orillia’s is responsible for more than simply being the voice of local business. It also looks after the operations of the Port of Orillia, which keeps Lang busy during the boating season.
“It will be the first summer in 25 years that I have not worked,” Lang said with a bit of a smile this week while speaking with OrilliaMatters at the chamber office.
Lang was working as marketing director for Muskoka Tourism when she learned of the opening in Orillia. Being from Orillia, she excitedly told her mother about the opportunity.
“Susan, that’s a man’s job,” her mother told her.
Indeed she is the first woman to hold the position of managing director at the chamber, but she didn’t encounter any problems because of it.
“I was treated well. The old boys network was fine. They were kind to me,” she said. “I’m a businessperson and I speak my mind. People appreciate that.”
While there were no problems fitting in, the job has posed some big challenges over the years — one of which was a constant.
“It’s always a challenge as a not-for-profit to balance your budget,” Lang said. “You have to be careful. Managing the overall financial health has been a challenge, but it’s one I’ve enjoyed.”
Then there are the challenges for which one cannot prepare.
The Port of Orillia building was the target of an arsonist in 2014, leaving the city and the chamber scrambling to prepare for the coming busy season. Boaters used to seeing the facility instead glided into the port to see trailers, which were in place for two years before the Orillia Waterfront Centre was built.
“Some of our guests didn’t appreciate that, but we had no choice,” Lang said.
Behind the scenes, Lang had the unenviable task of listing everything that was lost in the fire. Most of the major office equipment had been removed for the season, before the fire, but still, plenty was lost.
Despite that low, there were many highs at the port, including the installation of new docks. The upgrade offered 50-amp service to boaters.
“There’s a lot of very fancy boats that have electronic systems and we were not meeting their needs,” Lang said.
There’s more to Lang’s job than the port. She arranges the monthly Business After 5 gatherings, puts together the bi-monthly newsletter, plans the annual chamber dinner and stickhandles the Business Achievement Awards, in addition to planning for the annual Orillia Perch Festival and the chamber golf tournament.
There’s plenty for Lang to be proud of, but one accomplishment from 18 years ago stands out.
“One of my greatest joys in my career was being part of the Millennium Trail committee and getting that trail paved,” she said of the trail that was officially opened July 1, 2000. “It’s a wonderful thing that’s free and accessible.”
One challenge of her job is dealing with constant change: Businesses come and go, as do city councils. While the chamber isn’t necessarily a lobby group for local business, it does poll its membership on various issues of importance to them. One storm it stayed away from, though, was the long-debated and controversial matter of where the recreation centre should be built.
“Because we have such a broad membership base, there would not be consensus,” Lang said. “So, I congratulate mayor and council for just making a decision.”
Lang is leaving her post during a busy time for the chamber. The organization will be moving from its location in the former train station on Front Street South to a location that has not yet been disclosed.
The chamber wanted to buy the train station, but that didn’t work out. Neither did its second choice.
“We endeavoured to move to the upstairs of the legion building, but that proved to be too expensive for us,” she said. “Times have changed since 1988 (when the chamber moved from Commerce Road to the train station) and we cannot afford our own building.”
When the chamber chugs its way out of the train station, Lang hopes the 100-year-old building is salvaged.
“I would like to see the train station be saved. It needs a lot of work, but I hope they don’t just tear it down,” she said. “It’s an important part of our history.”
When Lang ships out at the end of the month, it’s the people she will miss most.
“I’ll miss talking to different people in the business community. I’ve been very connected,” she said.
But the time is right for her to move on.
“I’m ready to relax in the summer and poke around in my garden,” she said, adding she also plans to learn the Spanish language.
Lang will be succeeded by Allan Lafontaine. Keep an eye on OrilliaMatters for an interview with the new managing director.
