Ian Ross-10000 villages

Ian Ross is the Store Manager of Ten Thousand Villages on Locke Street South, a non-profit organization focused on retailing Fair Trade coffee, chocolate, jewellery and gift items from developing countries around the world. Having retired early, Ian began as a volunteer as a way of giving back to our community.  As he learned more about the organization, he was lured back to full-time work and is here to inform us about Ten Thousand Villages and their work.

Ian has been an arts and cultural leader for over 30 years.  As CEO and President led the Burlington Art Centre and the Art Gallery St. Thomas-Elgin, and worked at the McCord Museum of Canadian History at McGill University. Originally from Toronto, Ian attained a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal, and has studied in the Netherlands and at the University of Windsor. He has also pursued Museum Management at the Getty Institute at the University of California at Berkeley, and at the Banff Centre in Alberta.

He happily lives in the Kirkendall area with his wife Barbara and granddaughter Serena.