Susan Dunlea was announced as Rowing Ireland’s newest president in recent days, the first woman ever to take the up the role.
A property surveyor at the State Valuation Office, she has been working behind the scenes at the organisation for a number of years, participating in committees and acting as team manager to the high performance elite groups from 2016-2019.
New Rowing Ireland President ☘️
At today’s AGM Susan Dunlea has been elected by the clubs as the new President of Rowing Ireland.
Congratulations to @SusanDunlea who also becomes the first female President of Rowing Ireland 🎉#wearerowingireland pic.twitter.com/5KjHnCfRiO— Rowing Ireland (@RowingIreland) October 31, 2021
She has also served on the board of Rowing Ireland as Honorary Treasurer and a member of the audit committee where she where she liaised with the CEO and other staff members to ensure the goals of the unit were implemented among the financial constraints and Terms of Reference.
The AGM also saw a proposal passed that will see at least 40% of female representation fulfilled on the Rowing Ireland Board, while John O’Keeffe received the President’s Award for his development work in Blessington over the last number of years.
Presidents Award
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Congratulations to John O’Keefe on receiving the Presidents Award at the 2020 AGM. #wearerowingireland pic.twitter.com/nCze0X7srG— Rowing Ireland (@RowingIreland) October 31, 2021
Outgoing president Eamonn Colclough acknowledged the multitude of achievements of the setup over the last year, including that of the first Olympic medals to be championed by women in Ireland.
On his tenure he commented that it was “an immense privilege” for him to have served in the position in what he believes “has been an exciting time.”
“We in Rowing Ireland have enjoyed fantastic success on the international scene and were enjoying significant growth in our numbers until the pandemic struck” he said.
“I would like to thank the members of the Board of Rowing Ireland for their support to me, their commitment and dedication has ensured that our sport is governed to the highest standards.”
“I would like to offer my congratulations and best wishes to my successor and I am confident that Rowing Ireland will enjoy continued growth and success.”
