The Special Olympics International Board of Directors met and announced two new Board Members in November 2017: Dr. Shi Derong, co-founder of Dongyi Capital in China, and Dr. Clement Chileshe, Centre Director of the Olympic Youth Development Centre in Zambia. The meeting was held at the headquarters of Special Olympics’ Founding Partner, The Coca-Cola Company. Next year, Special Olympics will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first International Special Olympics Games in Chicago and The Coca-Cola Company has been a partner since those first Games.
“Dr. Shi Derong has been a vital force for Special Olympics since Shanghai, China hosted our 2007 Special Olympics World Games and Dr. Clement Chileshe has been working tirelessly to expand Special Olympics in Zambia and throughout the Africa Region,” said Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver. “We are thrilled to have two passionate and dedicated new Board Directors who will help us take Special Olympics into the next 50 years.”
The Special Olympics International Board of Directors is the ultimate governing authority for the Special Olympics movement and is composed of Special Olympics athletes and leaders in the areas of business, government, disability, sports and entertainment. The Board is responsible for the global affairs and strategies of Special Olympics; determines its policies and programs, and oversees all top-level management. Board Members are elected to three-year terms and may be re-elected twice – for up to nine consecutive years of service.
While in Atlanta, the Special Olympics International Board of Directors also visited the newly built office for Special Olympics Georgia. The facility will host the state office for Special Olympics, as well as training throughout the year.
Brief biographies of the new members are below. For complete bios and a list of current Special Olympics International Board Members, please visit the Special Olympics website.
Dr. Derong Shi is Chief Advisor and Co‐Founder of Dongyi Capital of Shanghai, China. He is also a member of Dongyi Capital’s investment decision committee. Earlier in his career, he was Chief of Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, where he was instrumental in designing infrastructure to support increased opportunities for people with disabilities in employment and education. He is also Co‐founder and Chairman of the board of Shanghai Private Equity Association and serves as vice chairman of the Shanghai Charity Foundation (SCF).
Dr. Clement Chileshe is the Centre Director of the Olympic Youth Development Centre in Zambia and Vice Board Chairperson of Special Olympics Zambia. He is also Founder and President of Sport in Action, Zambia’s first and largest sport NGO. He serves as Coordinator of the Olympic Values Education Program and is Vice Chairman of the National Olympic Academy in Zambia. A longtime coach and founding President of the Physical Education Teachers Association, he played a key role in gaining the support of Zambia's President to reintroduce physical education as a compulsory subject in government schools.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, and celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5 million athletes and Unified partners in more than 170 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola Company, United Airlines, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Microsoft, Lions Clubs International, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the Golisano Foundation, Safilo Group, and TOYOTA. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium.
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