The elections for the ENDA Board were held on October 8th 2009 during the 9th ENDA congress in Helsinki

Elected as President of the ENDA for the next period is Iris Meyenburg-Altwarg from Germany. Elected as Vice-President is Mauro Petrangeli from Italy. Christa Tischer from Germany is re-elected as treasurer/secretary.

On Friday the 9th October, Pieter de Vente, on behalf of the ENDA Committee adressed in his speech at the congress both to Ricarda Klein, the former President and Margarethe Struempf, the former Vice-President. Both of them were honoured by and presented the first ENDA Honour Pin.

Speech Pieter de Vente

Dear Frau Klein, lieber Ricarda
Dear Frau Strumpf, lieber Margarethe
Ladies and gentlemen, respected ENDA friends

Today, Friday 9 October 2009, is a day of mixed feelings. We look back on three fantastic days at the congress here in Finlandia Hall beautiful city of Helsinki. A huge thank you to the organisers! Three days of focussing on the future of nursing care – a future that we know will bear the stamp of the current economic crisis. Care for our elderly, and the way our government would like to treat them, represent a new challenge to our wonderful vocation, the profession of nursing.

Today, on Friday 9 October 2009, we also remember that the first ENDA congress was held in Geneva, 16 years ago. Many European cities followed: Turku, Brussels, Halle, Rotterdam, Glasgow, Vienna and Reykjavik.
Congresses that were important milestones in the short history of the European Nurse Directors Association. Congresses that were influenced behind the scenes by the two women that we at ENDA will say farewell to today. Two women that have strived more than anyone to give national and international significance to the profession of nursing, and have achieved a certain degree of success in their endeavour. Two women who found it important to build a European network of nursing leaders and were not afraid to take on the responsibility, and did all this alongside their busy working life.
I am sure I don’t have to tell you who these two women are, but I will anyway. I am talking about the president of ENDA, Ricarda Klein and the vice-president, Margarethe Strumpf.

Not only I, but the entire board of ENDA, have had the privilege of working with them both, to realise our dream of putting the nursing profession on the European agenda, and keeping it there.
In collaboration with our honorary chairperson Jacqui Filkins (who is not with us but sends her warmest greetings), our chairperson Ricarda, that modest woman from Hamburg, carried out the European study into the strengths and weaknesses of the nursing leaders in the different countries. This resulted, in 2005, in a plan of action.
But that’s not all.
Ricarda has provided leadership to ENDA over the years and she played an important role in making ENDA an organisation that continues to attract new countries and associations to its ranks. You shouldn’t underestimate this small lady, because even though modesty is a virtue it does have its limitations. With vision and nerve, Ricarda has guided ENDA to where it is today. This was of course done in cooperation with you and the members of the board, but Ricarda has plenty of tenacity, perseverance, charm, analytical ability and decisiveness, which she frequently put to good use as the president of ENDA.
Fortunately she was able to share the chair with our vice president Margarethe Strumpf from Vienna. Margarethe, who was instrumental in making Austria part of ENDA. Margarete, the charming Margarete, but she is also a talented nursing leader who combined professional expertise and an insight into what matters to nurses, and what concerns them, with the high ethical standards and values that a nursing leader must possess.

At this congress here in Helsinki, both Ricarda and Margarethe are stepping down and not standing for re-election. Both ladies will also be rounding off their active working lives in their native country. And both will start enjoying more leisure time than they have previously had. But once a nurse, always a nurse; it’s in their blood. So I predict that we will hear from both these ladies again.
But whatever happens in the future, today we say farewell to Ricarda and Margarethe, with feelings of respect, of appreciation, of gratitude and of heartfelt friendship. It is not often that two such women depart at the same time, which gives it a special significance. The European community of nursing leaders thanks them, ENDA thanks them and the people present here today in Finlandia House thank them. Without these two women ENDA would not have become what it is now and perhaps we would not be sitting here today.
Ricarda and Margarethe; THANK YOU!

We would like to mark this occasion with something quite exceptional, by presenting the first ENDA Honour Pins to Ricarda and Margareth!