Doug Motty to Head National Developers' Agency

Doug Motty, chief executive of Enterprise Fredericton, has been named president of the Economic Developers Association of Canada.

"Communities from Toronto to Iqaluit are facing unique economic development challenges," he said Tuesday. "Over the next year my plan is to bring communities together - large and small, urban and rural - to learn about the opportunities of the new economy."

During an interview with the Telegraph-Journal, Motty shared his vision for the economy of Fredericton, New Brunswick and the country.

"The world is changing and the pace and depth and breadth of the change is faster than ever," he said. "Economic development organizations and communities have to be flexible to deal with the rapid pace of change."

Motty said the national economic development association, which holds regular conferences, training and seminars, needs to focus more on collaboration and partnership than ever before.

"We need to learn lessons from past successes and failures and expand our approach economic development in the province," he said. "Change is rampant and we need to get the right people with the right skills focused on sustainable economic development."

During the most recent national developers' conference in British Columbia, for example, delegates discussed the sometimes fine line between developing and prospering from a natural resource and environmental sustainability.

"We can start to develop hydro-electric facilities on rivers in a sustainable way by diverting some of the water and not damming it," Motty said. "We don't necessarily need conglomerates to create large damns. There are smaller hydro-electric power generation models that are both sustainable and economically viable."

New Brunswick also needs to creatively rethink its natural resources to both ensure sustainability and add value, he said.

"We've got phenomenal natural resources here and we need to maximize the forestry, fishing and mining industry," Motty said. "We have a lot of potato farmers and we should invest more in alternative value-added crops for crop rotation."

Motty also said education and training are vital to success in the new economy.

"It's truly all about having the right people with the right skills in the right places," he said. "The education system needs to be in tune with what the future.

"The reality is our children in the school system are living in a global environment and need broad-based skills to compete," he added. "The fundamentals need to be in place so they can read and comprehend complex documents, user manuals, blueprints - you name it."

Under Motty's direction, Enterprise Fredericton has developed a focus on four key areas of economic development.

The most vital is about growth from within, he said, which includes building and strengthening existing businesses and helping them access new export markets.

The agency is also looking to create a culture of innovation, lure new businesses to the area and attract investment.

Motty will be the fourth president of the national association from New Brunswick since it started in 1968 and will remain the CEO of Enterprise Fredericton while filling the one-year voluntary position.

Brett Bundale
Telegraph-Journal