WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 20, 2018: The Board of Directors of Special Olympics International met last week in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic as guests of the First Lady of the Dominican Republic Cándida Montilla de Medina. The Board of Directors meeting was held in conjunction with the first-ever Special Olympics World Tennis Invitational and the Special Olympics Athlete Congress. The Board engaged with athletes from around the world throughout the events. The meeting concluded with the following major announcements:
2023 World Summer Games
Berlin, Germany will host the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2023. A signature component of the Berlin bid included a Host Town Program that engages the entire nation in hosting athletes from around the world. Driving inclusion in and through sports, the goal is to build a better understanding of intellectual disabilities, cultural diversity and inclusion, and involve sports clubs and schools across Germany.
New Board Members
Jenny Fortner, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Chicago
Fortner joined Goldman Sachs in 1998. Years ago, she championed Special Olympics to be included as part of Goldman Sachs’ Community Team Works (CTW) Program, which led to Goldman Sachs employees helping hand out awards, and assisting with track meets and softball tosses at the games. Later, she joined the board of Special Olympics Illinois, as one of its youngest members. Fortner has gone on to support Special Olympics Illinois in multiple facets: as sponsor, volunteer, board member, donor, family member, Co-Chair of the 10th Annual Inspire Greatness Gala, and Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Committee.
Dale Jones, President & CEO, of Diversified Search (begins term in 2020)
As President & CEO, Jones’ responsibilities include oversight & management of the firm and its global CEO Advisory Services. Jones is a member of several notable national corporate and philanthropic boards, including those of Northwestern Mutual, Kohl’s Inc., Princeton Theological Seminary, and his alma mater, Morehouse College. He is also a Global Board Member of AltoPartners. He formerly served as National Advisory Board Vice Chairman for The Salvation Army.
David Sable, Non-Executive Chairman, VMLY&R
Sable has been the Director-at-Large of the 4As, and Jury President and Jury Member of several Cannes Lions Creativity Festivals. Sable is frequently tapped for his marketing, advertising, PR, digital and social expertise throughout the industry and around the world. Sable was named to the New Yorkers Volunteer State Office of National and Community Service Commission in 2010. In 2008, New York Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg appointed him to the Cultural Advisory Committee of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Returning Board Members
The Board re-elected the following members: Ernest Bower, Nils Kastberg, Muhtar Kent, Ronak Lakhani, Yang Lan, Kim Samuel, Bobby Shriver, and Natalia Vodianova. The full Board and biographies are listed here.
The Founder’s Council
As part of Special Olympics’ 50th anniversary, the organization is creating a Founder’s Council — to strengthen the roles of descendants of the founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. This council will be composed of not fewer than three and not more than nine direct descendants of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Members will have two key roles, 1/Participation: volunteering for, playing in, and attending Special Olympics activities within their own communities and around the world; and 2/Advocacy: serving as advocates for the movement and using their voices and abilities to press for a stronger and more impactful movement. The inaugural Founder’s Council will consist of: Timbo Shriver, Kathleen Shriver, Tommy Shriver, Molly Shriver, Christina Schwarzenegger and Natasha (Tashi) Hunt Lee.
In related news: as part of the 2018 Global Athlete Congress held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 60 Special Olympics athlete leaders from around the world voted for a new chair on Wednesday, 14 November, 2018. Fourteen athletes ran for the position in a tight race. After the votes were counted, Nyasha Derere from Zimbabwe emerged as the winner.
Notes to Editors
The Revolution is Inclusion
As part of the celebration, the organization is challenging people across the globe to join its “Revolution is Inclusion” campaign—an all-out effort to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. Led by Special Olympics athletes, the organization launched the campaign because, despite progress, exclusion is still real for millions of people with intellectual disabilities in every aspect of their lives. The good news is: when the world chooses to include, #choosetoinclude, everything changes in a positive way for everyone. The public can show their support by taking the Inclusion Pledge at JoinTheRevolution.org.
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 6 million athletes and Unified Sports 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 100,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including Bank of America, the Christmas Records Trust, The Coca-Cola Company, ESPN, Essilor Vision Foundation, the Golisano Foundation, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Microsoft, Safilo Group, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, TOYOTA, United Airlines, and The Walt Disney Company. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.
Media Contact
Mark Daley
Special Olympics
P: (202) 824-0389
mjdaley@specialolympics.org