About the event:
Join us as we welcome Margot Cathcart, CEO of The Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation and Chuck Davidson, President and CEO of The Manitoba Chamber of Commerce as they provide an update on the RMEDC and the future of rural Manitoba's economy and development. 

Why should you attend?
Rural communities are crucial to the economic success of Manitoba and Canada, contributing 30 percent of the country's GDP. Sectors like mining, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, energy resource extraction, and electricity production are key contributors to the economies of rural communities.
 
The Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation works to help existing businesses grow, and to attract new ones, we need to convey the value that lies within our rural communities.
 
In 2019, a survey of rural-based company owners and operators exposed gaps in the economic development support network. To address these gaps (alongside the Manitoba government’s Economic Growth Action Plan of 2018), the Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation was formed in 2020.

About The Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation (RMED): The Rural Manitoba Economic Development Corporation (RMED) is a new organization created to improve, support and increase success for economic development in Manitoba.
RMED will strive to support Manitoba communities, economic development offices, and businesses by:

• Collaborating with communities to grow capacity for economic growth.
• Collecting, tracking, managing and sharing data and information on rural Manitoba.
• Navigating government regulations, legislation and initiatives that impact businesses, communities, municipalities and the Manitoba economy.
• Being a champion for rural Manitoba, promoting what it has to offer and success stories.

Margot Cathcart grew up in rural Manitoba, graduated from Brandon University and after living in Japan and in Winnipeg, returned to Brandon with her husband to raise their two sons.  Describing herself as a “builder”, she has been involved on the ground up in product, business, and industry development.  

Her private sector experience spans television, news media, information management, technology, agriculture, food, and financial services.  Over, the course of her career she has held numerous private sector management roles. 

Most recently she has held senior management positions with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development developing provincial wide economic development programming and re-engineering operations to enhance knowledge management and operational efficiencies.


Chuck Davidson is President & CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC), the largest business organization in the province, representing nearly 10,000 organizations throughout Manitoba. Under his leadership, MCC has seen a renewed focus on policy and advocacy as the Voice of Business in Manitoba, a 15% increase in revenues, a 60% increase in event attendance, the establishment of the Chamber Executives of Manitoba, and recognition as an accredited Chamber of Commerce with distinction.

Prior to joining MCC in 2013, Chuck spent close to a decade at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce as Vice-President, Policy & Communications. A graduate of Red River College’s Creative Communications program, Chuck launched his career as an announcer and reporter with 680-CJOB radio, before moving into communications and policy development roles where he has worked for the past two decades.

Chuck is a tireless community booster and a passionate champion of northern economic development. He was recently appointed to the board of the Province of Manitoba’s Community Economic Development Fund, serves as co-chair of the Look North initiative and the Provincial Tourism strategy. He is President of the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan and past-chair of the Canadian Chamber Accreditation Council as well as a past-chair of the South Winnipeg Community Centre.

Surprise Guest Announcement! 

Deputy Premier, Hon. Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods), Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade
Cliff Cullen was elected as the MLA for Turtle Mountain in 2004 and re-elected in 2007. In 2011, 2016 and 2019, he was re-elected in the new constituency of Spruce Woods. Cullen earned a diploma in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and worked in the agricultural and environmental sectors, serving as president of the Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association and as provincial manager of the Association for a Clean Rural Environment. He and his wife Marilyn have three sons.

*Also, please note that things change! So keep in mind that dates, times, speakers, locations and formats can change and/or be cancelled.