Abstract
Let’s reflect first on FELASA’s life over 2019. The year was prolific on the scientific side, with the completion of numerous working group recommendations, the record attendance at the 14th congress in Prague, the multiplication of severity workshops and the success of the ever so popular webinars sponsored by ESLAV. On the education side, the Accreditation Board, driven by Marcel Gyger’s unswerving fervour, started accrediting courses outside European borders. Finally, 2019 was the last year the FELASA Executive Committee benefited from Past-President Hanna-Marja Voipio’s wisdom. Hanna-Marja joined the Executive Committee in 2014 as FELASA treasurer and she became President-Elect in 2016 and President on 2017 and 2018. Hanna-Marja’s presidency marked a turn in FELASA’s activities with the development of severity workshops and Train-the-Trainers workshops. Thanks to Hanna-Marja’s smooth and steadfast leadership, the FELASA 40th Anniversary celebrations (e.g. awards, webinars, and summary of achievements) allowed the European LAS community to get together and show its great soul.
2020 will therefore see a change of composition for the FELASA Executive Committee. Following the last AGM elections, Belen Pintado will start the year as President-Elect. Belen has been Vice-President International Affairs since 2015, and we are very pleased to announce that Samuel Vidal will join the Executive Committee and step in this position from 1 January 2020. Samuel will be busy in the years ahead since he will also chair the Organising Committee for the FELASA 15th congress (Marseille, 13–16 June 2022). One big milestone for this triennial conference will be the constitution of the Scientific Committee: the call for nominations and the selection of members will take place in 2020. Still on the science side, more FELASA working groups are expected to publish recommendations in the next 12 months, including on the aquatics’ topics. Looking even further, the coming year will see the start of the bidding process for the 2025 congress. And FELASA will keep working on the development of a new website to support the range of its internal and external activities.
FELASA wishes all its member associations and their members a clear and shiny horizon for 2020!