The Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce has a new president.

The chamber announced the appointment of Minerva Ward as its new president Thursday. She is scheduled to start March 7.

“Minerva brings 18 years of destination management, marketing, and tourism development skills from unique Canadian and world tourism markets to Niagara-on-the-Lake,” said the chamber in a news release.

Ward started her career working for the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, where she managed a cruise terminal which included retails shops, restaurants and visitor experiences. She has also worked for Sandals Grande St. Lucia Beach Resort & Spa, and owned and operated her own real estate company, specializing in the sale and rental of luxury homes. 

She moved to Canada in 2012 and worked for the a tourism and human resources association in British Columbia. She also served on several advisory  boards including the British Columbia Ministry of Education.

Recently, Ward spent more than three years living and working in the arctic as regional tourism development officer for the Northwest Territories.

“(She) was integral in readying the eight communities in the region for the influx of tourists that came with the opening of the new Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, the only public road to the Arctic Ocean in North America,” the chamber said.

Chamber chair Paul MacIntyre said Ward will be relocating to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Minerva Ward holds a master’s degree in tourism and hospitality management and a bachelor’s degree in tourism management from the University of the West Indies, in Jamaica and the Bahamas, respectively. She holds a certificate in digital communications from Simon Fraser University, and leadership development from the University of Alberta. She is pursuing her economic development accreditation from the University of Waterloo. 

“I have a deep respect for businesses and the value creation that tourism businesses bring to stakeholders, and I am committed to advancing business interests, tourism development and tourism marketing in NOTL” said Ward, in the release.