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About Me

* Founding Executive Director, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise/PARO Centre pour L'enterprise des Femmes 1995-present~ * Co-founder, Past- President. Past- Treasurer of the Women’s Economic Council (WEC) 2002-present~ * Co-Manager, WEC Collective 2015-present~ Owner/Operator, L&A: Social Enterprise and Non-Profit Consulting 2015-present~ Finance Committee, Canadian CED Network 2009-present~ Ontario Social Economy Roundtable 2009-present~ People-Centred Economy Committee 2009-present~ Ontario Not-for-Profit Network (ONN) 2011-present~ SENO (Social Enterprise for Northern Ontario)-founded 2012-present~ Previous • Coordinated the founding committees of three successful social enterprises, PARO PRESENTS, 2002 to present, a collaborate gift store, led by an Artisan team in support of Northern women entrepreneurs and artisans, ~ ACCELERATED ACCESS, 2007 to present, which works to develop the capacity of other not for profit organizations while expanding the skills and markets of women entrepreneurs ~ ACCELERATED PLACEMENT AGENCY, 2009 to present, dedicated to close the financial gap for women entrepreneurs in the North. • Hosted the 2008 Northern Ontario Women’s Economic Development Conference~ • Founding President of Women’s Economic Council, member of the original founding mothers of the present National Economic Council 2002 to present ~ • Chair and Co-chair of the Canadian CED Network’s Policy Council and member of board of directors, several years until 2011 ~ Other pertinent information: ~ Winner of the Influential Women’s Award for Northern Ontario, as the Public Sector Influential Woman 2005. In recognition of women who have contributed to economic wealth, job creation and growth in their communities and across the North~ Developed the framework and curriculum forand founded the PARO’s peer lending program, publishing Our Piece of the Pie, A Recipe for a Women’s Community Loan Fund ~~ PARO's Peer Lending Circle program is one of the strongest and largest in North America 100+ Circles strong ~~ Actively involved in advisory boards and regularly requested to participate in public consultations and presentations to federal and provincial agencies, voluntary sector organizations, and conferences ~ As practitioner and as a volunteer committed “time, knowledge, commitment and passion” through regular” participation on the Women’s Economic Development listserv; ~ enthusiastic participation in “Common Threads” National WED workshop of June 2000; ~ the development and review of case studies; and to the review of the draft paper and most important of all, for all the creative and innovative economic development work that . . . Rosalind, staff and members of PARO are . . . doing with low-income and marginalized women in . . . Canada.” 130 (Source: Acknowledgements for the research project, Women In Transition out of Poverty: An Asset-based Approach to Building Sustainable Livelihoods, ~~ January 2001 and the second project, Women In Transition out of Poverty: A Guide to Effective Practice in Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods, Eko Nomas , Researchers/Writers, Janet Murray and Mary Ferguson, January 2002, for the Women’s Economic Consortium. ~~ Publications, Curriculum, and Papers 2008: ~~ Rosalind Lockyer and Kirsti Tasala, Into the New Decade Northern Opportunities for Women Report #2, PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, in partnership with North Superior Training Board. Funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation 2008: ~~ Paul Chamberlain, Michele Cherot, Caroline Lachance, Rosalind Lockyer, and Joe Valvasori, Place-Based Poverty Reduction Initiative: How Community Economic Development is reducing poverty in Canada and how it could be doing more. Funded by the Government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships Program. 2005: ~~ Rosalind Lockyer, Maggie Milne, and Marina Robinson, Systemic Change, One Step at a Time: Building Sustainable Livelihoods in Northern Ontario, Making Waves, Women and CED in Canada, Special Edition, 2005.~~ 2004: Marina Robinson with Shannon Cormier, Rosalind Lockyer, Northern Opportunities for Women: An Innovative Skills Development Program, PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, in partnership with North Superior Training Board, 2004. Funded by Government of Ontario, Ontario Women's Directorate. 2004: ~~ Rosalind Lockyer, Loretta McGregor, and Marina Robinson, The Current Status of Information Technologies and Skills Development for Women Entrepreneurs in Northwestern Ontario, PARO: A Northwestern Ontario Women's Community Loan Fund, 2004. Funded by the Government of Canada, Human Resources Development Canada. 2004: ~~ Maryanne Geddes, Rosalind Lockyer, Marina Robinson, A Literature Review Pertaining to the Employment of Women in Northwestern Ontario, PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, 2004. Present Position: ~~ Executive Director, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise/PARO Centre pour L'enterprise des Femmes, Thunder Bay, ON 1995-present~~ Previous Positions:~~ Community Development Officer, Thunder Bay Ventures, ON 1994-1995 ~ Partner, Skipper John and Co. Ltd., Thunder Bay, ON 1980-1988~ Partner, Auntie’s Attic Handcrafts, Thunder Bay, ON 1979-1985~ Teacher, Avalon Consolidated & Carbonear School Boards 1965-1977 Newfoundland~~ Other interesting information:~~ PARO ‘ One of the strongest peer lenders of small business loans in North America.’ ~ Northern Ontario Business, Rosalind Lockyer, Executive Director, PARO- one of Five (5) Northern Leaders, June 2011 ~~ Canadian Newcomers Magazine, “You may be surprised to discover that ‘one of the leading business centres for women in the entire country’ is located in Thunder Bay. . . PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise” http://www.cnmag.ca//issue-37/998 ~~ PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, Winner of Business Excellence, Non-Profit, Social Inclusion and Diversity, and Customer Service Thunder Bay Chambers of Commerce, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2017~~ respectively National Donner Foundation Award, for Excellence in Education Delivery- 2014 ~~

My Passion

Passionate about women-centred CED,~ women's empowerment,~ women's equality~ peer lending ~ business and social enterprise development~ women in politics~ women on boards~ finding solutions when dealing with non-profit challenges~ Sailing, reading, facilitating, brain-storming, music, and movies

My Interests

Mentor  

Partner  

Coffee

Languages

English