Dear fellow Estonians, supporters and friends!

I am delighted to welcome and introduce the members of the new, now XXIII Council! The EANC body has been elected by Estonians in the United States to represent all Estonians in the US and to faithfully carry out the EANC Mission. Thinking back to the composition of previous councils over time, a few things stand out when comparing the make-up of the council body. 

• The XXIII Council is geographically spread out across the United States, from New England to the South, to the Midwest, and to the West Coast. Going back perhaps 20 years and earlier, the Council was heavily oriented toward the East Coast, particularly New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, with a few members from elsewhere, mostly on the West Coast.

• Women were previously underrepresented, while today the opposite is true.  Women make up about 2/3 of the Council, 20 of 29 members. 

• The age distribution of members is wide: with five (5) members born in the 1940s, (8) in the 1950s, (5) in the 1960s, (9) in the 1970s, (2) in the 1980s, and (1) in the 1990s. The span is about 50 years, representing people in all stages of life. Our Council is committed to engaging even younger generations, so instrumental in generating relevant renewal, the youth is our collective and very promising future.

• In terms of birthplace, 16 were born in the U.S., 13 were born abroad.  Most of the 10 born in Estonia are post-World War II babies who grew up in Estonia.

• Professionally we are also a diverse group, with academics and Ph.D.s galore; government employees in various fields; experts in finance, the environment, and other fields; and business owners, among others. These elected members all bring a wealth of experience to EANC, all hold dear Estonia, our language, culture and heritage, and want to contribute to the Estonian American community. 

Many thanks to all of these talented and inspired members for their willingness to carry forth the EANC mission. Congratulations on your election to the Council on our 70th anniversary year!

Uut Esinduskogu tervitades aastakoosolekul, ERKÜ esimees Marju Rink-Abel lausus: `Teid ootab huvitav ja tähtis töö eestluse nimel siin USAs.  Loodan, et teie leiate endale sobiva ala millega saate ERKÜ tööd edasi viia.  Teie ideed ja soovitused on alati teretulnud. Tervitan meie liikmeid südamest ja ütlen teretulemast.´ Samuti tänas kõike kandidaate ja valijaid huvi eest osaleda neil tähtsail valimistel. Erilist tänu avaldati Valimiskomisjoni eestvedajatele Lya Karm ja Maria Pedak-Kari, kes tegid suurt ja olulist tööd valimiste korrektse läbiviimise kindlustamisel ja häältelugemistel. ´Koos oleme tugevamad ja koos saame palju head ja kasuliku korda saata! Edasi!´

Marju Rink-Abel
EANC president – ERKÜ Esimees