Otway Business Inc needs to find a replacement for former president Tony Baldwin.

COLAC’S peak business lobby group is without a leader after failing to find a new president.

Otway Business Inc’s Tony Baldwin stepped down as president at OBI’s annual meeting this week but he will remain on the group’s committee.

OBI members have re-elected Troy Parker of Crowe Horwath as treasurer and Lynette Genua of Kidz Kingdom into the role of secretary, while Chris Smith and Darren Milverton have also decided to stay on the OBI committee.

Mrs Genua said OBI would look for a new president in coming weeks.

“We’ll be having a meeting on the second Tuesday of May to do some mapping of Otway Business Inc’s future activities and strategy for the coming 12 months, and to also look at filling the position of president,” she said.

“Anyone who’s interested in being president, anyone who’s interested in joining the committee, can get in touch with me or they can get in touch with Troy Parker.”

Mr Baldwin became OBI president in 2011, when he replaced Anthony McDonald at the helm, and he was also Colac Area Health board president until last year.

Mrs Genua said Mr Baldwin had made a “significant” contribution to OBI and the Colac business community.

“Tony made a great contribution to OBI under very difficult circumstances because he was on the hospital board and he’s also had a very substantial expansion in his business role with Red Rooster,” she said.

“That has meant that he’s had limited time to devote to OBI but he’s still found the time and made the effort to make a fairly significant contribution to the business world.

“We’re grateful that he’s staying on and that we can benefit from his knowledge and expertise.”

Meanwhile, OBI has split the roles of Colac Otway Business Awards co-ordinator and OBI executive officer, with the executive officer duties dissolving back to the secretary.

The business awards committee appointed Zoe Hudgell of Red Door Dance and Theatre Productions to the role of awards co-ordinator in March.