News

This October 2016, the 4 year mandate of the current Executive Committee and Board of the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) came to an end. At the General Assembly on 21st October 2016, EASPD members elected the following governance positions:

• EASPD President
• Three EASPD Vice-Presidents
• EASPD Treasurer
• Nine EASPD Board members

These elections also mean that EASPD had to thank its outgoing President, Mr Franz Wolfmayr who held the position for the past 8 years. Congratulations and acknowledgements of his many achievements were exchanged during the 20th anniversary celebrations which preceded the General Assembly.

EASPD is happy to announce the appointment of Mr James Crowe as new president of EASPD for the next 4 years. Mr Crowe is the Director of Learning Disability Wales in the United Kingdom. Following his election, he declared the following: “I am excited and honoured that my colleagues have chosen to elect me as President of EASPD. I recognise that this is a period of unprecedented challenge for our member organisations across Europe. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People sets out clearly the rights that disabled people should be able to enjoy, yet so often the reality falls very far short. We must secure a social Europe that delivers the individual support that people require, as and when they need it as part of life in the community. We shall continue to strive with our members and the other key European disability networks to achieve these outcomes.”

Additionally, EASPD elected as Vice-presidents: Ms Valerija Bužan from CUDV Draga in Slovenia, Mr Fabrizio Fea from Associazione Scuola Viva onlus in Italy, and Ms Kirsi Konola from KVPS in Finland. Ms. Bernadette Grosyeux was re-elected as EASPD treasurer for a second mandate. The President together with the Vice-Presidents, the treasurer and the Secretary General, Luk Zelderloo, constitute the EASPD Executive Committee.

Finally, nine new board members were elected by the General Assembly: Mr Akos Pordan from Hand in Hand Foundation in Hungary, Mr Cristian Rovira from CONACEE in Spain,Ms Katrin Voelker from BAG WfbM in Germany, Ms Karin Astegger from Lebenshilfe in Austria, Senator John Dolan, from Disability Federation Ireland, Ms Regina Biskiewicz from Polish Institute of Open Dialogue, Mr Peter Saxenhofer from INSOS in Switzerland, Mr Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf from AIAS Bologna onlus in Italy and Ms Vasilka Dimoska from Poraka in Macedonia. Later this year the EASPD elected Board can co-opt a maximum of 7 addition Board members.

Full article.