John Restakis – Curriculum Vitae
John Restakis
4244 Prince Albert St.
Vancouver, BC
restakis@gmail.com
Employment History
Research Associate, Co-operatives UK
Present
Research Co-ordinator, FLOK Society Project, Ecuador
Co-Lead Investigator, Scaling Innovation for Sustainability Project
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Special Research Consultant, Co-op Elder Care Project, BC Co-operative Association
Executive Director, BC Co-operative Association (BCCA)
Jan. ‘99 – June 2013
Responsible for the operation and strategic development of the BC Co-operative Association (BCCA), the
umbrella organization representing the co-operative and credit union movement of BC. The primary focus of
work was the development of BC’s co-operative economy through co-op development programs, co-op
education and research, co-op technical assistance & training, government relations, and youth programming.
Over the course of my tenure, I succeeded in raising the association’s annual budget from $37,000 to over
$500,000 per year, doubling the association’s membership, forging strong educational and research
partnerships with foundations and academic institutions, and securing substantial research and development
funding, including $600,000 for research and development of a national co-op elder care program for Canada.
Internationally, I provided technical assistance and evaluation of programs and policies for international co-op
development projects in Africa, Sri Lanka and Cuba.
Co–Founder and Co-ordinator
Bologna Summer Program for Co-operative Studies
University of Bologna
June ’00 – Sept. ‘08
As Executive Director of BCCA, I was a leader for the promotion of co-op education and research into the
development and operation of co-operative economies. In partnership with Vancity Credit Union and the
University of Bologna, I founded the Bologna Summer Program for Co-operative Studies, a unique
international study program focusing on the co-operative economy of Emilia Romagna.
Senior Manager, Community Economic Development
Canadian Co-operative Association - Ontario Region
June ’94 – Dec. ‘98
Responsible for the development and co-ordination of Community Economic Development policy and
programs for the co-operative movement in Ontario. Was a key advocate for the rise of co-op development
as a primary policy focus for the co-op movement in Ontario and nationally.
Senior Consultant, Alpha Consultants Inc.
June ’91 – June ’94
Co-owner and founder of Alpha Consultants, a consulting firm specializing in adult and popular education,
community economic development and issues concerning government and community relations in Ontario.
Projects and clients included:
Ontario Fair Tax Commission – co-ordinated province-wide community involvement in the evaluation of
provincial tax policy and the formulation of fair tax reforms for Ontario.
Select Committee on Ontario in Confederation – organized province-wide public consultations on the Meech
Lake Constitutional Accord and authored a report on public attitudes and the consultation process.
Cabinet Committee on Free Trade – co-ordinated province-wide public hearings, town hall sessions and
debates on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on behalf of the Ontario cabinet.
Director, Community Literacy Programs
Ontario Ministry of Education
May ’88 – Nov. ‘91
As Program Director my responsibilities centered on the development of community-based literacy program
for Anglophone and Native communities in Ontario. Duties included the creation and co-ordination of training
programs for literacy workers and the development of popular education learning materials, including the use
of oral history for adult literacy and popular education.
Native Training Consultant
Community Literacy Branch, Ontario Ministry of Skills Development
Oct. ’87 – May ‘88
Designed and delivered popular education and adult literacy training for Native literacy programs across
Ontario.
Lead Instructor, Adult Education
Adult Basic Education Unit, Toronto Board of Education
Oct. ’87 – May ‘88
Responsible for the oversight and evaluation of adult literacy and second language programs for the Toronto
Board of Education. Duties also included the provision of administrative support, training and supervision of
adult literacy instructors.
Senior Manager
Literacy Training Project, Toronto Board of Education
Feb. ’87 – July ‘88
Responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of literacy training for the Adult Basic Education Unit of the
Toronto Board of Education. Established the Toronto Board of Education’s first comprehensive training
program in adult literacy and popular education.
Senior Project Officer, Youth Employment Services
Ontario Ministry of Skills Development
Aug. ’86 – Feb. ‘87
Supervised the development of community-based continuing education projects for unemployed youth in
Ontario.
School Community Relations Worker
Toronto Board of Education
1979 – 1985
Responsible for the organization of parent involvement in education issues at the provincial, municipal and
local school levels; organized and staffed Ontario’s first province-wide coalition of parent groups, student
organizations, teacher federations and school boards to campaign jointly on provincial education issues.
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Community Organizer, Trainer & Fundraiser
Southwest Federation, Chicago
Citizen’s Action Project (CAP), Chicago
1973 – 1975
Campaign organizer with the Southwest Federation, a large grass roots citizen’s organization on Chicago’s
south side. Also a trainer and fundraiser for the Saul Alinsky Industrial Area Foundation (IAF) Citizen’s
Action Program (CAP), Chicago’s foremost direct-action organization.
Community Organizer
Greater Riverdale Organization, Toronto
1970 – 1973
Staff organizer for one of Canada’s pioneering direct action community organizations in Toronto’s
Riverdale area.
Academic/Training History
Master of Arts, University of Toronto, 1988
Philosophy of Religion, Centre for Religious Studies
Graduated with Distinction
Teaching English as a Second Language, George Brown College, 1986
Bachelor of Arts, University of Toronto, 1985
Specialist Degree in East Asian Philosophy, Sanskrit and Classical Greek
Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), Chicago, 1974
Current Academic & Research Roles
Research Co-ordinator, Social Infrastructure & Institutional Innovation, FLOK Society Project, Ecuador
Co-Lead Investigator – Micro, Mezzo, Macro Research Cluster, Scaling Innovation for Sustainability (SIS)
Research Project, SSHRCC
Lead Researcher – Influence of Co-op Structure on the Behaviour of Large Co-operatives, Measuring the Cooperative Difference, Western Cluster, CURA
Instructor, University of Victoria
Co-operatives in Global Perspective
Advisory Committee, Centre for Co-operative & Community-Based Economy (CCCBE) University of
Victoria
Steering Committee, MA Program in Community Development
University of Victoria
Senior Research Partner, BC/Alberta Social Economy Research Hub (BALTA)
Co-Chair, Human Resources Research Cluster, BC Alberta Social Economy Hub (BALTA), SSHRCC
Publications
Books
The Great Revenue Robbery – How to Stop the Tax Cut Scam and Save Canada;
Tax Justice and the Civil Economy, Ch. 8, Between the Lines, 2013
Human Services and the Caring Society, Ch. 8, Seeds of Transition
Athabasca Press, 2013
Humanizing the Economy – Co-operatives in the Age of Capital
New Society Publishers, 2010
The Co-op Alternative: Civil Society and the Future of Public Services
Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 2001
Storylines, Oral Histories for Literacy
Ontario Ministry of Education, 1987
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Papers/Reports
Caring Co-operatively – Social Franchise Report, 2013
BC Co-operative Association
Evaluation of Livelihood Development Training Rebuilding and Strengthening Livelihoods in Post Tsunami Sri Lanka
Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA), Canadian Red Cross & Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), 2009
EEP Evaluation Study: An Evaluation of the Enabling Policy Program for Cooperatives in East Africa
International Co-operative Alliance & Canadian Co-operative Association, 2008
Enabling Health and Social Co-op Policy in BC
BC/Alberta Social Economy Research Hub, 2008
Co-op Elder Care in Canada: A Call to Action
BC Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria, 2007
Defining the Social Economy: The BC Context
BC Social Economy Roundtable, 2006
Articles
Conceiving a Social Market, 2013
What Would Che Say? – Cuba at the Crossroads
The New Internationalist, 2012
The Co-operative City – Social and Economic Tools for Sustainability
BC Co-operative Association, 2011
Community in Crisis – A Roadmap to Repair
BC Co-operative Association, 2011
Co-operatives and the Wealth of Nations
Co-operatives UK, Inaugural Fortnight Lecture Series, 2011
The Daughters of Kali
The Tyee, 2010
To Life, Health Co-operatives in Japan
Making Waves, 2008
The Economics of Social Change
Common Ground, July 2006
The Emilian Model: Profile of a Co-operative Economy
The Co-op Perspective, BC Co-operative Association, 2005
The Rise of Social Co-operatives - Social Co-ops and Social Care: An Emerging
Role for Civil Society.
InterSector, Newsletter of the Canadian Co-operative Association. Volume 7, #3,
Winter 2004
Government Restructuring and Implications for Civil Society - the Co-op Alternative
ICA Review, Vol. 91 no. 1, 1998
Films/Videos
Civilizing the Economy
Part One: The Co-op Alternative
Part Two: Social Co-ops and Social Care
Getaway Films, 2004
Words and Power: Oral History and Native Literacy
Ontario Ministry of Education, 1996
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