Kathryn Holloway
Kathryn or
Kate Holloway (born
October 18,
1968 in
Montreal,
Quebec) is a
Canadian political activist and
entrepreneur.
She is known for her work with NGO
Element Village and the Canadian and
Ontario Green Parties. She is a partner in renewable energy startup, Village Technologies.
Prior to her NGO/Green party work, she held senior executive positions in both the high-tech and advertising worlds, as a director for Boston-based
CMGI, and a Vice-President at MBS Ltd. of the
Grey Global Group. For two years she was also featured on The Discovery Channel as an Internet journalist on the segment "Kate's Page", which she wrote and performed.
[ "Candidate Profile - Scarbourough Greens" "] She is the sister of comedienne and radio personality
Maureen Holloway, and the first cousin of Marxist economist
John Holloway. She holds two degrees from the University of Toronto, one in
Celtic Studies and the other, an MBA in Finance from the
Rotman School of Management.
In
2003 she was a regular columnist for Relix Magazine
["Life Between The Lines" Relix Magazine, Katie Holloway, Archives, 2003], writing about music and culture. In
2004, she was a regular contributor to
Building and Construction Trades Today, specializing in feature stories on heritage conversions in Toronto.
In
2004 she founded
Element Village an
NGO whose objects are to stimulate, fund and support
sustainable urban cooperative and
community projects.
She participated with the Civic Efficiency Group, on a submission on
infrastructural capital to
Canadian Finance Minister Ralph Goodale Budget 2005's
Green Budget Coalition advocating sustainable, modular, green urban planning.
She was a delegate at the
UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Roundtable in New York in October 2005, and was an accredited NGO observer to the
United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Montreal in December 2005. She lobbied to ensure that the
World Mayors and Municipal Leaders Declaration on Climate Change would include wording protecting women, youth and communities. Working with Councillors
Elio Di Iorio of
Richmond Hill and
Erin Shapero of the
Town of Markham, she supported for inclusion in the declaration of
*calls for reform in how the IMF and the World Bank measure productivity
*endorsement of the
emissions reduction targets set by the
2005 International Youth Declaration
*increased partnership between municipalities and NGOs and community organizations
Holloway was an Ontario organizer for the
Green Party of Canada (GPC) during the
2004 election. She also ran as a
candidate in that election against incumbent Liberal
Derek Lee and independent candidate
Raymond Cho in the riding of
Scarborough-Rouge River.
["Candidate information for riding: Scarborough-Rouge River", The Globe And Mail, June 29, 2004]In August of
2004 she was elected to the party's national executive as fundraising chair with 91% of the vote. She also sat on the Revenue Sharing Committee and the Incorporation Committee, and was a founding member of the Women's Caucus.
["DRAFT MINUTES of The Ninth General Meeting National Convention", Green Party of Canada, Aug.29, 2004]With fellow organizer and Women's Caucus Chair Hayley Easto, she founded the Green High Riding School, a candidate organizing school assisting local candidates and riding associations with fundraising, policy development, and organizing.
["GREEN HIGH RIDING SCHOOL - November 19-21, Dufferin ON", Green Party of Ontario, Nov. 9, 2004]Departure
In 2004, The Green Party achieved a strategic electoral breakthrough that won them millions of dollars in federal funding for the first time. Holloway was a financial officer of the party.
["Green Party Profile" The National,CBC Television. Interview, Leslie Mackinnon, producer. Aired Dec. 13, 2005] During a council meeting in January, 2005, Green Party of Canada leader
Jim Harris called for an
in camera session over what he described as a "staff" issue. He then moved a motion to remove Kathryn Holloway from the GPC council. resulting in Holloway's suspension. No reason was provided to her, and she was refused a copy of the meeting minutes, although she requested that they published to the membership.
["Green Party Ombuds Committee Report and Recommendations" Party Ombuds on Procedure of Suspension, Mar 5, 2005] She subsequently published Council minutes related to her work on the party's incorporation of its finances, publishing them on a website.
["Incorporation Committee Timeline ] The GPC Ombuds Committee condemned the procedure by which Holloway was suspended, requiring the party to apologize to her.
In June 2005, Holloway was nominated by unanimous vote as the candidate for the Green Party of Canada for the riding of
Toronto Centre. However, her nomination was blocked by party organizers. No written reasons for the objection were provided to the riding association. Holloway subsequently resigned from the Green Party Council and from her Toronto Centre nomination, stating frustration. Within the next week several other prominent national executive members and candidates followed suit.
["Green Party Profile" The National,CBC Television. Interview, Leslie Mackinnon, producer. Aired Dec. 13, 2005].
Holloway stated to the press at the time that her controversial suspension was the consequence of her refusal to approve council dealings in her capacity as a financial officer
, and specifically to approve a committee report which she said misrepresented her views.
[alleges electoral violations by Green Party" Canadian Press. Dennis Bueckert, December 28, 2005]In spite of her experience, she expressed broad support for the Green Party, without explicit plans to return to active participation. "It's not my party to represent right now," she said to the CBC, "but hopefully, young people, and professionals, will come forward and make this their Green Party, and give us a politics we can be proud of."
["Green Party Profile" The National,CBC Television. Interview, Leslie Mackinnon, producer. Aired Dec. 13, 2005]Return
In May 2006 Holloway emerged as a key supporter of
Elizabeth May's leadership run for the Green Party of Canada, hosting a public event for May in Toronto days after May's announcement.
[http://www.planetfriendly.net/calendar/item.php?id=4799"Trinity Spadina Meet and Greet" May 11 2006] On June 5, 2006 she announced her candidacy to run for the position of Chief Agent of the party.
["Council 2006 Candidates" [1]]*
Village Technologies*
Candidacy for Chief Agent Website
