“Board Chairman elected to International Board”

19 May 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

“Board Chairman elected to International Board”

Chairman of Special Olympics New Zealand (SONZ), David Rutherford has been elected to the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. The Special Olympics Headquarters are based in Washington D.C. Mr Rutherford will represent the Asia Pacific region for a term of three years. In this capacity he will be a voting member of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the Board.

As a volunteer, David has been on the SONZ Board for four years, latterly as its Chairman. Formerly the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr Rutherford is an expert in sports law. He is a junior rugby coach and the Chairman of his local rugby club.

Special Olympics is a global sporting organisation supporting over 3 million athletes with intellectual disability in over 175 countries. In the Asia Pacific region Special Olympics programmes are active in 22 countries.

Special Olympics New Zealand supports over 5,000 athletes in 15 sports with over 2600 volunteers engaged to provide coaching, administration and support services. The not for profit organisation is unique in that at every level and in a multitude of sports, it provides a year round sports programme for all athletes of all abilities through an active schools and Club framework. This highlights the strength of Special Olympics globally to offer a pathway for life-long participation.

Special Olympics Asia Pacific Managing Director Dr John Dow, Jr., said “ We are delighted to have someone of David’s calibre contributing to the future strategic direction for our organisation and particularly in the Asia Pacific region. We recognise his strength and expertise not only in sports governance and leadership but also his understanding of volunteer engagement and retention. He is a passionate advocate for community sport and for promoting the development of opportunities for people with intellectual disability.
David joins the Special Olympics International Board of Directors at a great time as the organisation is launching its next five year plan. David’s expertise in this area will be welcomed and will affect the movements planning for athlete support around the world.” Dr Dow said.

Special Olympics New Zealand Chairman David Rutherford said “My appointment is a reflection of the regard in which Special Olympics New Zealand is held in the international movement. That regard is the result of the courage of the athletes and the work of our volunteers and staff. While the inclusion of people with intellectual disability is growing, there is still a long way to go both in New Zealand and overseas. Special Olympics is a quiet achiever and we need to strengthen our marketing and communication to build more awareness of the benefits of sport for this important sector.”

“I am amazed how active some governments in Asia Pacific are in supporting intellectual disability. We need to ensure that we replicate this throughout our region.” Mr Rutherford said.

David Rutherford takes up this role immediately and will remain as Board Chairman of Special Olympics New Zealand. He remains based in Wellington.

ENDS

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