World Trade Centers Association Announces the Formation of Regional Advisory Council—Europe
New York, NY, USA | The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) today announced the formation of its first Regional Advisory Council (RAC), the result of several months of work to build capacity on the ground in its regions.
“Our intent with this pilot program is to put additional resources into Europe to help further activate the network, and to do so under the guidance of the RAC,” remarked Rolf Draak, Chair/CEO, World Trade Center (WTC) Nice/Sophia Antipolis, Vice Chair of the WTCA Board of Directors, and the first Chair of the RAC—Europe. “I am happy to report that we have had our first few meetings by phone to set regional priorities, and we are off to a great start.”
The group is comprised of two Directors on the WTCA Board, and three other Members from the region. This first seating of the RAC includes:
- Rolf Draak, WTC Nice/Sophia Antipolis (RAC Chair; Vice Chair, WTCA Board of Directors)
- Emmanuel Thaunier, WTC Rennes Bretagne (Member, WTCA Board of Directors)
- Edward Allison-Wright, WTC Gibraltar
- Eva Hyllstam, WTC Gothenburg
- Evert Jan Schouwstra, WTC Leeuwarden
Given the staggered nature of the terms on the council, in the future Members in the region will have the opportunity to elect new Members to open seats, or indicate their own interest to serve.
Among the first tasks will be to hire an additional staff person in Europe—the “European Membership Coordinator”—to work in tandem with the RAC and Headquarters to help galvanize engagement in the region, roll out core programming, and address critical issues on the ground. Another important decision that needs to be addressed in short order is to select a location for the 2019 Regional Meeting for Europe. WTCA is now accepting applications from Members who wish to host this meeting, which are due on 19 December 2018.
For more information on the RAC, the new position in Europe, or how to host the 2019 Regional Meeting in Europe, please contact media@wtca.org.