Retirement is busy, according to John Lockhart of Community Futures as he moves to step down from his position as general manager.
After 25 and a half years with Community Futures, Lockhart said it’s time to bring in new blood to take the program into the future.
“Why am I retiring now? Because I’m 73 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I spent 26 years in traditional banking, before that the Canadian army.”
Lockhart’s not kicking up his heels yet though, and he’s not done with Community Futures either.
Teaming up with a friend who worked in another office in the province, they will be providing part-time consulting with other offices in western Canada.
“He’s asked me to join him so he and I are going to do a little consulting part time for the next two or three years until we feel that maybe it’s time to do nothing,” he said. “I’m not ready to do nothing, so for the next two or three years I’m going to offer some of the things I’ve learned, some of the successes we’ve built here, and offer that to some of the other Community Futures offices in western Canada.”
Before moving on to that project, he said he will take a month off, prior to embarking on a two-month trip with his wife to visit with family in Nova Scotia. He said he is excited to meet some of his great-grandnephews and nieces, something he hasn’t had the time to do in the last 40 or so years of work. For his role at Community Futures Highwood, he said it was time to hand over the reins.
“It’s just time. New generations, new ideas, technology,” he said. “At 73, I can work a computer very well, but some of the new stuff coming on is really going to help this program as we move forward even further. We need new ideas and new blood, who are a little bit more technologically astute than I am.
“And at 73, I’d say I’ve earned the opportunity to go and do some fun things.”
The impact of the program on the community would attest to that, as the program has generated $171 million in economic investment in the region served by Community Futures Highwood, said Lockhart.
“I’ve watched 14 year olds who have done a summer business who are now in their 30s and 40s and have gone on from low summer business, like ice cream stands and bicycle repair sorts of business, to horse-training programs,” said Lockhart. “Some of these youth are now some of our greatest business people in this region.”
The program operates as banks do for big businesses, Lockhart said, giving rural small businesses their start.
For Lockhart, Community Futures is like his baby, and he didn’t want to see it go to just anyone, but to the right person. That right person is Sara Noyes, executive director.
“I’m happy to say I’m leaving this program in the great hands with Sara Noyes, who has been president of the Okotoks and District Chamber of Commerce for the past year, and she’s stepping in to take this program to the next generation,” he said.
“I’m leaving it with great pride and I look at the successes and that’s how I will continue to look at the successes for the next year. I’m very happy with what we have done.”
Noyes has worked with Community Futures from her role as president of the Chamber of Commerce for years.
“I have always thought what Community Futures did for our community was interesting and fantastic and a great role, so when the opportunity came to be involved I was really excited to leap at it,” she said.
As for her opinion of Lockhart, it couldn’t be higher.
“John has done a ton for Highwood,” she said. “From providing businesses unusual loans to get started to youth loans. You look at his response to the flood and the fact that he was right there as soon as High River was in a bad situation and orchestrated a whole set of Rotary loans to help businesses in that community re-establish themselves.”
Lockhart’s involvement in the community has made him an instrumental part in providing support or guidance for businesses in the area, as well as contributing countless hours towards board work, volunteer and staff hours, said Noyes.
“There’s a huge legacy there to be had and some shoes for me to fill and just move forward with. It’s a different time now and I’ve got some opportunities that area bit different, and he has been incredibly supportive of me taking over.”
Noyes said Lockhart’s legacy can’t be understated, and the community owes him a huge amount of gratitude for what he has done in his time with Community Futures.
That appreciation certainly showed in the Community Futures office at Lockhart’s going away party.
“My staff gave me a box of business cards as part of my going away and it just says ‘contact me only if it has to do with fun, laughter, scotch, wine, and golf.’ So I’m going to have some fun and enjoy the rest of the time that my wife and I have with our grandkids and so forth,” said Lockhart.
