Barbara McNally

Mrs. Barb McNally retired from the position of Vice-President of the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), now Invest Ottawa, in 2003.  OCRI was a rallying point to bring business, education and research together to support Ottawa’s technology companies to thrive locally and compete globally. 
 
Barb’s task was to build partnerships among schools, businesses and universities primarily to encourage students to pursue careers in technology, and also to enhance teacher awareness of such careers. OCRI engaged many volunteers for a number of diverse programs.  In 2000, OCRI won a Global Best Award for business-education collaboration, which was presented in Edinburg, Scotland. 
 
After a 20-year career teaching Secondary School English and Special Education, Barb was seconded to Bell-Northern Research, later Nortel Networks, to promote the development of collaborative activities linking business and education.  In 1990 Nortel lent Barb’s services to the Ottawa Centre of Research and Innovation to expand the collaboration across the community.

Barb has volunteered with the Elizabeth Fry Society, and chaired a team of volunteers who organized a golf tournament for eight years to raise funds for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.