Lonnie Patterson

Research Associate

Email: pattersonl@brandonu.ca

Phone: 204-571-8515

Lonnie’s passion about all things rural is rooted in her experience growing up in Wawanesa, Manitoba.  She is a proud alumnus of Brandon University, completing both her Honours Degree in Sociology and Masters of Rural Development (MRD). Her MRD thesis looked at the past, present, and future of Manitoba’s Regional Development Corporations. While completing her Masters, Lonnie worked as a Student Researcher at the Rural Development Institute (RDI) focusing on youth migration and rural poverty. She also had the opportunity to participate in the International Comparative Rural Policy Studies (ICRPS) Summer Institutes in Columbia, Missouri and Inverness, Scotland.

With over a decade of experience working for the Government of Manitoba in various roles, Lonnie has experience bringing a rural perspective to government decision-making, as well as a keen understanding of how important partnerships are to building successful communities. She is interested in research that enables people living in rural communities to make good decisions as they plan for a successful future. She also wants to learn more about how to improve regional collaboration, planning, and action in rural Manitoba.

Lonnie was elected to Brandon City Council in October, 2014 in the South Centre Ward and is excited to represent such a growing, vibrant community.