Changes at the WFD Secretariat

LEADERSHIP

Farewell for Meri Hryske-Fischer

The WFD would like to announce the appointment of Ms Eeva Tupi as the new interim Team Leader starting from 1 April through 30 June 2018. Ms Tupi’s last week in her current role of Human Rights Officer will be at the end of March 2018. She will continue the work of Ms Meri Hyrske-Fischer, as Ms Hyrske-Fischer pursues new opportunities. Ms Hyrske-Fischer’s last day with the WFD Secretariat will be on 12 March 2018. We are continuing to evaluate and discuss the leadership position at the WFD and will send updates as needed.

Ms Hyrske-Fischer has been with the WFD for 10 years and has served in a variety of roles. She started with the WFD in 2008 as the Assistant to the then President/Liaison Officer and as a Project Manager for Western and Central Africa. In 2011, she became the WFD’s Development Officer, and took over the role of Team Leader in 2012 where she has served for the past 6 years. We wish Ms Hyrske-Fischer the best in her pursuits and express our deep gratitude for her work at the WFD.

FUNDRAISING AND COMMUNICATIONS

To meet the urgent needs of the WFD’s fundraising and communication activities, the role of Development Officer has been changed to Fundraising and Communications Officer. As the WFD becomes more strategic in their approach to achieve their goal of realising equal human rights for deaf people, the role of the Fundraising and Communications Officer has evolved to match the needs of the WFD.

WFD Media and Communication Intern, Stephanie DeMeyer

In addition, the WFD has added the position of Media and Communications Intern. The WFD is pleased to welcome Ms Stephanie DeMeyer from Rockwall, TX, USA to the WFD Secretariat in Helsinki, Finland. Ms DeMeyer started at the WFD on 1 March 2018 and will conclude her internship on 25 May 2018. In this position, her main task is to further the development of the WFD’s overall media strategy. She will also assist in planning the upcoming WFD board meeting in Accra, Ghana.

Ms DeMeyer is currently finishing her dual degree in American Sign Language with an emphasis in Advocacy and Corporate Communications at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, USA. She has lived and traveled internationally and has previous experience from marketing-related internships.  

PROJECT AND FELLOWSHIP

We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to Ms Megan Youngs and Mr Daniel Ocampo who have recently ended their respective projects at the WFD.

Video Farewell wishes for Megan Youngs

Ms Youngs worked as the Project Officer for the Maghreb Region from 1 September 2017 to 28 February 2018. She provided training workshops in cooperation with the WFD Ordinary Members in the Maghreb Region that aimed to equip the participants with tools to support the capacity building of their associations and strengthen their Deaf Communities, as well as enhance their understanding of human rights.

Mr Daniel Ocampo

Mr Ocampo served as the WFD-IDA Fellowship from 1 April 2017 and his last day will be on 31 March, 2018. In this role, he assisted the WFD Human Rights Officer in reaching out to the WFD Ordinary Members and preparing a toolkit in International Sign on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Sustainable Goals (SDGs) for the use of the global Deaf Community.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to both for their hard work at the WFD, and we offer our best wishes for their future endeavors.