Council of Presidents idea moves closer to realization (09/26/99)

Council of Presidents idea moves closer to realization

by Roma Hadzewycz

WASHINGTON - The first steps toward creation of the Council of Presidents of Ukrainian American Organizations (CPUAO) were taken here on September 15 at a specially convened meeting of the leading organizations involved in the Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations.

The session was organized and chaired by Dr. Roman Goy, the initiator and prime mover of the Joint Conferences, the mammoth gathering of major Ukrainian American organizations held in the Washington area in June. Present at the meeting were representatives of 15 organizations - nine of whom voted at the meeting to join the Council of Presidents.

The groundwork for the establishment of the council was laid with a discussion about the objectives, membership and governance of this new body, and the election of a three-member executive to coordinate activity until such time as the Council of Presidents of Ukrainian American Organizations is duly constituted.

The primary mission of the CPUAO was described as strengthening the Ukrainian American community. It was agreed by all present that the objectives of the council should be to:

coordinate the Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations (which are envisioned as a regularly occurring event);
serve as a consultative body that will meet formally at least once a year to discuss matters of common interest; and
serve as a communications network among participating organizations.

Dr. Goy, who also is president of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America, was elected chairman of the CPUAO. Peter Piddoubny, president of the Ukrainian American Bar Association, was elected secretary, and Ihor Chyzowych of the Ukrainian National Credit Union Association was elected treasurer.

In addition to those three organizations, six others voted to join the Council of Presidents of Ukrainian American Organizations: the Ukrainian Institute of America (represented by Walter Nazarewicz, president), Ukrainian Engineers' Society of America (Lev Dobrjansky, president), Ukrainian Federation of America (Zenia Chernyk, president), Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (Ihor Gawdiak, president), Association of Ukrainian American Architects (Ulana Baczynskyj, leader of the nascent organization), and the Ukrainian American Community Network (Larissa Fontana, chairperson).

Five other organizations whose representatives attended the meeting indicated that they could not vote on the matter without first consulting their membership or executive bodies. These were: The Washington Group (represented by Orest Deychakiwsky, president), Ukrainian American Veterans (Steven Szewczuk, president), Ukrainian National Women's League of America (Iryna Kurowyckyj, president), Ukrainian Library Association (Jurij Dobczansky, president) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (whose representative at this meeting was Michael Sawkiw Jr., director of the Ukrainian National Information Service, the UCCA's Washington office).

Also present at the meeting were R.L. Chomiak, director of the UACC's Washington Office (who arranged the luncheon meeting at the National Press Club) and Roma Hadzewycz, editor-in-chief of The Ukrainian Weekly, one of the media co-sponsors of the Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations.

The community leaders' meeting was followed by a visit with Vice-President Al Gore at which the Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations presented him with the Friend of Ukraine Award in recognition of his work on the U.S.-Ukraine Binational Commission.

National organizations interested in joining the Council of Presidents of Ukrainian American Organizations are advised to contact the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America at 1-888-RX-UMANA.

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