ECF Board
The board was elected at the Annual General Meeting 2012 in Vienna, Austria.
Board members are:
- Frans van Schoot (Fietsersbond, The Netherlands)
- Piotr Kuropatwinski (PSWE, Poland)
- Käthi Diethelm (Pro Velo, Switzerland)
- Manfred Neun (ECF President, ADFC, Germany)
- Doretta Vicini (FIAB, Italy)
- Morten Kerr (Syklistenes Landsforening, Norway)
- Daniel Mourek (Nadace Partnerství Greenways Programme, Czech Republic)
- Jens-Loft Rasmussen (ECF Treasurer, President of the Dansk Cyclists Forbund, Denmark)
European Cyclists’ Federation asbl
Rue Franklin 28
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 2 880 92 74
Fax: +32 2 880 92 75
office@ecf.com
Board Biographies
Manfred NeunECF PresidentADFC (Germany)
Jens-Loft RasmussenECF TreasurerPresident of the Dansk Cyclists Forbund (Denmark)
Daniel MourekECF Vice PresidentNadace Partnerství Greenways Programme (Czech Republic)
Dr. Käthi DiethelmECF Vice PresidentPro Velo (Switzerland)
Morten KerrECF Vice PresidentPresident of the Norwegian Cyclists’ Association (Norway)
Dr. Piotr KuropatwińskiECF Vice PresidentSenior Cycling Policy Expert at the Pomeranian Association “Common Europe” (Poland)
Frans van SchootECF Vice PresidentBoard member at Fietsersbond (The Netherlands)
Doretta ViciniECF Vice PresidentBoard Member at FIAB (Italy)
Manfred Neun
ECF President since 2005
Manfred Neun has an excellent record of practical management, as well as wealth of economy-related and business experiences. Additionally, he was involved in research, studying economic and psychological aspects related to public and private transport in the urban environment.
He was the president of the German Two-wheel Wholesalers’ Association, the Executive Vice-President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in his home region and a member of the Plenary Assembly of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Swabia (IHK). He was also a lecturer at four universities in the during the 1980’s and was lecturing up until 2007 at the Ravensburg University of Cooperative Education with a focus on Human Resources (HR) management, economy and ecological psychology.
Manfred Neun was born 21st of August 1950 in Heidenheim (Germany), where his parents ran a nursery. He started his professional undertaking a Banker’s apprenticeship and commenced his studies in Economy and Psychology followed coupled with practical experience by managing the small to medium size horticultural enterprise that his parents owned. He then successfully managed a medium enterprise designing, assembling and trading bicycles and bicycle parts. In those days he also became the “father of the Trekking Bike” (1986 – an example is on display in the German Museum of Transport). He lives with his family in Memmingen (Bavaria/Germany).
Contact:
Jens-Loft Rasmussen
Awaiting Profile
Contact:
Deputy: Walther Knudsen, Denmark
Daniel Mourek
ECF Board member since 2012
Bio:
Born in Prague, I have been working as the Central and East European Greenways coordinator at the Czech Environmental Partnership foundation (Nadace Partnerství, Prague) for more than a decade. I have grown up with a bicycle and the passion for bikes became my professional life after studying at the Prague School of Economics and at the Sustainable tourism at the University of Bern. On the national level I am member of Czech cycling strategy team (CzechMobil) coordinating long distance greenways and cycle routes (such as Elbe Trail, Iron Curtain Trail or EuroVelo routes) in the Czech Republic and CEE as well as being a member of Prague cycling committee. On cycling advocacy I helped to establish Prague Critical Mass in 2001 and co-founded Prague cycling advocacy group ‘Auto*Mat’ in 2004.
Motivation, vision:
As member of the European Greenways Association www.aevv-egwa.org and steering committee of the European GreenBelt initiative I would like to help network and bridge these European initiatives with similar purpose as ECF. My interest is in further development of cycling tourism and closer collaboration with main stakeholders as well as promotion of advocacy groups and their urban activities on the European level (larger urban bicycle events in European cities). As an activist and at the same time professional on cycling tourism I believe I can contribute to ECF vision: more people cycling, more often.
Dr. Käthi Diethelm
ECF Board member since 2003
Bio:
- Study: Mathematics and Information Technology (IT)
- Married since 1984, Family with 2 sons in the twenties, just about to finish their professional education
- Working part time as IT project manager in a large IT company since 1989
- Voluntary work for cycling since 1984.
Motivation, vision:
Cycling has many advantages but lacks ambassadors and marketing. ECF and all its members strive to change this and I’m ready to support this work as much as possible.
My special fields are road safety, helmet group work, EuroVelo with the role as chair of the EuroVelo Council and some special tasks for the ECF office.
My vision is a world, where everybody can cycle safely and with pleasure in everyday transport and most people also often enjoy cycling during their vacations.
Contact:
Deputy: Christoph Merkli, Switzerland. info@pro-velo.ch
Morten Kerr
ECF Board member since 2010
Bio:
- 60 years young, architect by education, running my one man consultancy office in the field of outdoor, commercial signage and advertizing (“aesthetics in the public space”), including signage for bike routes. Since August 2011 I’m employed as head of project by the City of Oslo, Agency for Urban Environment, part of the bicycle planning group, working with the bike share programs
- Have cycled regularly for the past 20 years as a year ‘round cyclist
- Daily bike rides to work, shopping, all kinds of errands, extensive touring with family, with my wife and solo in Norway and much of Europe
- I use my bike(s) as the preferred (and almost exclusive) mode of my daily transportation – and way of exercise
- I’ve written a number of articles on bike tours and other bike related topics for Norwegian and international magazines and newspapers.
Motivation, vision:
My motivation to continue serving ECF and the international bicycling community has not been diminished, as I’d like to continue working through the ECF.
- to find ways to reduce the absolute – not only the increased – need for transportation, both locally, regionally and globally
- to shift as much as possible of the transportation to the least polluting and environmentally damaging modes of transportation (a topic I’ll be speaking on during the VeloCity conference here in Seville)
- to make the bicycle the natural and preferred mode of transportation for most people, both as daily utility vehicles and for recreational purposes
- thus contributing to improved public health and reduced environmental damage inherently caused by motorized means of transportation.
Contact:
Dr. Piotr Kuropatwiński
ECF board member since 2011
Bio:
- With a PhD in economics since 1989 I currently work at the University of Gdansk, in the Economic Policy Department
- In 1980s and early 1990s I wrote, translated and edited many texts on economic theory, banking, finance and economics of international economic integration (including the first Polish language textbook on modern economics translated from English since 1989)
- Before 1989, trying to acquire substantial intercultural competences (being fluent in English, French, Russian and German), I took part and personally co-organised numerous international conferences and seminars, as well as inshore and offshore sailing cruises
- Then I discovered the potential of cycling as a tool of international friendship and understanding, what prompted me to write several texts about daily, tourist and recreational cycling presented at subsequent Velo-city conferences. The “Concept of Cycling System Development in the Pomeranian Voivodship – Green Paper”, based on experience acquired during the implementation of the Gdańsk Cycling Investment and Promotion Project funded from the UN Global Environmental Facility was another fruit of my interest in cycling
- While questioning the direction of local cycling policies I coined and criticized the concept of “Car Oriented Cycling Policy” and in 2010 came out with the idea of the GDANSK CHARTER OF ACTIVE MOBILITY, initiating the creation of an association of local and regional governments interested in the promotion of gentle mobility in Poland.
Being married since 1976, I have three adult sons who pursue their own paths of professional development since several years.
Motivation:
ECF is an organization involved in extremely inspiring activities, supporting many innovative processes improving the quality of urban life. This concept became the motivating idea for me since my participation in the Graz- Maribor Velo-City Conference of 1999.
I know, that in central and east European countries there are as many as 158 M potential cyclists and a lot of actual and potential cycling advocacy enthusiasts. This market, composed particularly of women, has to be properly addressed in the EU financial perspective for the years 2014 – 2020. Members of European Parliament and other decision makers should be made aware of the need to put more stress on non-motorised transport modes than ever before. My experience in active witnessing the process of transition in Poland initiated by the Solidarnosc Union in 1980 make me convinced, that this is not only necessary, but also possible.
Vision:
Making the ECF a candidate nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize for its contribution to the friendly coexistence of all road users of the world in 2020.
Contact:
Frans van Schoot
ECF Board member since 2006
Bio:
- Born in July 1951
- After 33 years working in Bitumen and Asphalt Research for Royal Dutch Shell based Amsterdam ( 28y), Rouen France (2y) and finally 3 years as Secretary for the staff council I was retired in 2005
- In 2010 until March 2011 I was member of the Regional Parliament in Flevoland for the Green Party, Flevoland is the youngest one of the 12 regions in The Netherlands.
- Active as cycling lobbyist local, regional, national and European level
- For me cycling is a way of life
- In 2009 I was the ECF project-leader of the successful Danube-by-bike event, in which we organized 400 cyclists to ride in five countries along the Danube river. EU DG Enlargement was the initiating body
- Member of the EVC Euro Velo Council. I volunteered to help the EV manager and SG to go to meetings conferences etc. when their agenda is busy
- Active as on Technical matters and standardization
- I feel my self the speaker for the other cyclists, recumbents, tandems etc.
- For the ECF website team I act as an sounding board.
Motivation, vision:
- Doing my part of the job is fun and gives lots of energy to work with the mix of Board-members and the international team in the office
- I’m healthy and retired, so I’m not sandwiched between work & family. My agenda is free to assist ECF, on the necessary moments
- We restarted in 2006 an office in Brussels, it is growing and the influence of cyclists is growing, but the job is not finished yet
- Our planet has fever and it is running out of resources, I believe Cycling-future is part of the solution. I want to help to realize this cycling-future in a clean and healthy world.
Contact:
Deputy: Wim Bot, Netherlands: bot@fietsersbond.nl
Doretta Vicini
ECF Board member since 2008
Bio:
I’m Italian and I have been active for more than 15 years fighting for sustainable mobility in Milan and in Italy. I’ve been vice-president of the Italian local users association and part of the board of the national one. The bicycle is my means of transport both in the city and during my holidays. I studied comparative literature and my profession in life has been as an interpreter and translator for English, French and German besides having studied Spanish and Russian. I also worked several years as a journalist for the fashion industry. My two passions have always been languages and the bicycle. I organised together with the former president of FIAB several study tours in European cities with the aim bringing back the European experience. I took part in fairs and conventions writing articles in the local and national magazines.
Motivation, vision:
I want to contribute to improve communications both among the members and between them and ECF. Thanks to my knowledge of several European languages I can help the board with the relations with the members which, despite some real progress, I believe we still need to work on. I’m available any time to be a link between ECF board and their members.
Contact:
