Estonian Central Council Elects New President and Executive

Former Estonian Council President and Estonian Honorary Consul General, Laas Leivat nominated newly elected council member, Marcus Kolga for President of the Council, who then nominated a list of regional EKN representatives and board members, all of whom were elected to their positions.

Both Laas Leivat and Marcus Kolga, thanked outgoing President, Markus Hess, for his many contributions to the Estonian community in Canada and around the world, including the founding of the Black Ribbon Day movement. Markus Hess has agreed to continue to serve on the Council in the role of “Former President”.

“I thank all of the candidates for their commitment to our community and the courage to stand as candidates,” said Kolga. “Together, we overcame significant challenges and we're now excited to come together to rejuvenate this organization and help build a stronger community in consultation and collaboration with other organizations.”

Members of the council were encouraged to join Council committees on various issues, including inter-community relations, political outreach, youth congress and many others.

Among the first actions for the Council will be a first executive meeting where a new digital strategy will be discussed to help facilitate greater accessibility and transparency for the organization.

A town hall style meeting will be organized to help identify community needs and develop a community agenda for the next four years.

The Estonian Central Council is a national assembly of Canadians of Estonian heritage that represents and promotes their interests in most Canadian political jurisdictions, within the Estonian government; media, other Canadian community organizations and within the Estonian Canadian community itself.

The new Estonian Central Council Executive

Executive

• Marcus Kolga
• Laas Leivat
• Kristiina Valter
• Tõnu Altosaar
• Mart Leppik
• Reet Marten Sehr
• Marta Kivik
• Mihkel Kütti
• Taavi Tamtik
• Kairi Taul-Hemingway