President Lorne's Bio 2025-26
Our Club’s current President is Lorne Kenney. He is both a founding member of the Club
and a former President having served in this capacity in 2009-10. He has three times
been named an honorary Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to Rotary and
community, once for his initiative to develop an early literacy program that matches
children under six with local seniors, once for his work with the Rotary International’s
Youth Exchange Program and, most recently, for his charitable work with a bereft and
dying community member whom the Club had generously adopted.
Lorne has served the Club in many capacities over the years. Although not a lawyer he
successfully undertook the Club’s incorporation and the establishment of its charitable
foundation which is now shared by all three area clubs and is used to issue tax receipts
for donations.
Prior to his return to Collingwood in 2000, 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 Council, initially established by Premier William
Davis, became well recognized during the tenure of the David Peterson’s 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 the federal public service, Lorne was an International Representative of
the United Food and Commercial Workers and was responsible for negotiating major
collective agreements in the food industry. He was also the Union’s Governmental
Affairs Director and had previously served as its
Research and Education Director.
Lorne’s career began as a Professor of Economics and Canadian Studies at Seneca
College. Over the years, he continued teaching on an adjunct basis, at Carleton while
living in Ottawa and later at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management
where he developed a special charity-focused consulting program for graduating MBA
students .
He has a B.A. in Political Science and Economics and an M.A. in Economics (Labour and
Industrial Relations), both earned at the University of Toronto.
Also, he has twice been involved politically as the Liberal candidate in the 2014 provincial
election and again in the 2019 federal election.
Lorne and his family have deep multigenerational roots in the Collingwood/South
Georgian Bay area, dating back to the mid 19 th century.
Currently he and his wife, Susan, contemplate retirement but continue to own and
operate a successful promotional products and corporate apparel business in
Collingwood.
and a former President having served in this capacity in 2009-10. He has three times
been named an honorary Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to Rotary and
community, once for his initiative to develop an early literacy program that matches
children under six with local seniors, once for his work with the Rotary International’s
Youth Exchange Program and, most recently, for his charitable work with a bereft and
dying community member whom the Club had generously adopted.
Lorne has served the Club in many capacities over the years. Although not a lawyer he
successfully undertook the Club’s incorporation and the establishment of its charitable
foundation which is now shared by all three area clubs and is used to issue tax receipts
for donations.
Prior to his return to Collingwood in 2000, 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 Council, initially established by Premier William
Davis, became well recognized during the tenure of the David Peterson’s 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 the federal public service, Lorne was an International Representative of
the United Food and Commercial Workers and was responsible for negotiating major
collective agreements in the food industry. He was also the Union’s Governmental
Affairs Director and had previously served as its
Research and Education Director.
Lorne’s career began as a Professor of Economics and Canadian Studies at Seneca
College. Over the years, he continued teaching on an adjunct basis, at Carleton while
living in Ottawa and later at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management
where he developed a special charity-focused consulting program for graduating MBA
students .
He has a B.A. in Political Science and Economics and an M.A. in Economics (Labour and
Industrial Relations), both earned at the University of Toronto.
Also, he has twice been involved politically as the Liberal candidate in the 2014 provincial
election and again in the 2019 federal election.
Lorne and his family have deep multigenerational roots in the Collingwood/South
Georgian Bay area, dating back to the mid 19 th century.
Currently he and his wife, Susan, contemplate retirement but continue to own and
operate a successful promotional products and corporate apparel business in
Collingwood.
Lorne and Susan have two adult children, Jeannette who lives in Lindsay and John who lives in Kamloops.
They have one grown grandson, Kevin, who also lives in Lindsay. Their two younger grandchildren (Lillian who is thirteen and Jack who is nine) ski and race at Sun Peaks near Kamloops.
Their golden retriever, Mandy, is named for a Rotary Exchange student whom they hosted several years ago.