In it’s annual statement of priorities, the OSC is making a commitment to improve investor education. Its Investor Education Fund will be a key component of that effort.

“The Investor Education Fund was created to help individuals invest responsibly and independently by learning how to make use of financial information, services and advice. It will pursue this goal either alone or in partnerships by developing educational resources relevant to investors at every stage of life, industry and community partnerships, and research. The Fund also has access to the knowledge of the OSC as it works to narrow the gap between investment activity and investment knowledge,” says the OSC in its statement.

A board of directors has been assembled to provide leadership to the Fund. It includes: Kerry Adams as chair of the board, she is an OSC commissioner and president of the financial consulting firm K. Adams & Associates, Julia Dublin, senior legal counsel in the OSC’s Capital Markets branch, Dr. Lynette Gillis, an educational psychologist and president of Learning Designs Online, Robin Korthals, an OSC commissioner and a past-president of the TD Bank, Claude Lamoureux, president and CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, Elaine Wyatt, who is a senior investor relations consultant with Blunn & Company Inc., and Nancy Stow, who is the executive director of the fund.

Since incorporating in August 2000, the Fund has been active in several key areas says the OSC, including: expanding its partnership with the Toronto Stock Exchange to develop a new teaching tool called Taking Stock in Your Future; launching independent research projects on financial literacy, financial information and financial education, implementing with York University’s Schulich School of Business a public policy research program pertaining to financial services; promoting ethical practices through a three-year sponsorship of Carleton University’s Kroeger Awards in Ethics.

Funding for its activities will come from monies collected through settlements in OSC enforcement proceedings. “A process will be developed and implemented to ensure the best educational return for the funds.”

Along with Stow’s appointment as executive director the fund, Terri Williams is assuming the position of manager, Investor Education. Williams was communications director for VenGrowth, she spent two years managing media and public relations, corporate communications and investor education for the Investment Funds Institute of Canada, and she has also been a reporter with Investment Executive and the Toronto Sun.

Other OSC staff changes include: Randee Pavalow, who was appointed deputy director of Capital Markets, she will continue to act as the manager of the Market Regulation Team.

Rebecca Cowdery was appointed manager of Investment Funds Regulatory Reform and will focus her attention on major investment funds policy projects such as mutual fund governance. Paul Dempsey is replacing Cowdery as manager of the Investment Funds Team.

Gina Sugden was appointed manager of the Registrations Project Office, where she will act as a technical expert and resource in special project such as the implementation of the National Registration Database. Peggy Dowdall-Logie was appointed manager of the Registrant Regulation Team, which combines the former Registrant Legal Services and Registration Teams.