MEET THE ELEPHANT THOUGHTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Heather Johnston
Read Heathers's Bio
Lorne Kenney
Read Lorne's Bio
Lorne is an active community leader with deep multigenerational roots in Simcoe-Grey. Currently he and his wife, Susan, own and operate a successful promotional products and corporate apparel business in Collingwood.
Lorne is an active Rotarian and former President of the Rotary Club of South Georgian Bay.
Prior to his return to Collingwood, Lorne was the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the projects of the Premier’s Council, a consultative body of leaders from all key sectors of Ontario society. The Premier’s Council, initially established by William Davis, became well recognized during the tenure of the David Peterson Liberal Government and expanded further during the time of Premier Bob Rae.
Prior to his work in the Ontario Public Service, he was a senior official at Labour Canada in Ottawa where he led the Bureau of Labour Information
Before entering public service, Lorne was the Research and Education Director of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and was responsible for negotiating major collective agreements in the food industry.
His career began as a Professor of Economics and Canadian Studies at Seneca College. He continued teaching on an adjunct basis at Carleton and later at the University of Toronto where he developed a special charity-focused consulting program for graduating MBA students at the Rotman School of Management.
Lorne has a B.A. in Political Science and Economics and an M.A. in Economics (Labour and Industrial Relations). Both degrees were earned at the University of Toronto.
He has twice been named an honorary Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to Rotary in Collingwood his initiative to develop an early literacy program that matches children under six with local seniors and again for his work with the Rotary International Student Exchange Program.
He is an active parishioner of All Saints’ Anglican Church. Also, he has been involved politically as the Liberal candidate in the 2019 federal election.
Darilyn Coles
Read Darilyn's Bio
Deborah Keep
Read Deborah's Bio
Martin Oosterveld
Read Martin's Bio
Michael Ready
Read Michael's Bio
Niru Somayajula
Read Niru's Bio
Niru has taken on the family legacy and remolded it. As a second-generation owner she has been ambitiously expanding the business, recently adding a second location in Atlantic Canada. Outside of work she likes to ride the waves as a paddleboarder, musician and photographer. She avidly supports others as a mentor, charitable board member and a mother of two. Her favourite atelier is a toss up between the kitchen, her gravel bike, or the locally owned café.