Ezio Vergani elected President of the AFS Foundation

Adligenswil (Switzerland), 15 September 2012 – At its annual meeting the Board of the Foundation elected Ezio Vergani President. He succeeds Jürgen Blankenburg who retired after holding this position for eight years.

Well-known and engaged

Certainly no stranger to AFS – Ezio has supported the Italian AFS organization and AFS International during five decades – as he served the wider AFS network in many volunteer capacities. Advisor and friend of the AFS Foundation for many years, Ezio was a natural choice for the leadership position.

Focusing on legacy and name protection

As president Ezio Vergani is taking the lead. The main goal of the AFS Foundation for the next two years is the creation of the AFS Virtual Museum, currently under development. It is scheduled to open in 2014 and will exhibit historic photographs, movies and testimonials spanning the organization’s rich history from the birth of AFS in 1914 to the present. The online museum will continue to develop beyond the centennial as former participants – students, hosting families, volunteers and friends of AFS – are invited to share documents, images and ideas.

While focusing on this particular task during the upcoming years, the Foundation will continue its institutional task of protecting the AFS name and logo and monitoring its use on behalf of the worldwide AFS network.

Ezio was an AFS exchange student to Sebring, Florida in 1962.
Since then, he has been active both in the Italian AFS organization (Intercultura) and in AFS International.
Over the years, he served in many different high level positions in these institutions.

He is also involved in various not-for-profit activities in Italy and abroad.

Professionally he manages and has been managing his own company which manufactures and sells fluid handling equipment worldwide.

Photo: AFS International