Former Union of Students in Ireland (USI) President Annie Hoey was elected to the Board of Trustees by an overwhelming majority tonight at Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) council.
Hoey was President of USI between July 2016 to June 2017 and now works for the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth.
A University College Cork (UCC) graduate, she received a number of awards and accolades for her contribution to student life there. Her involvement with student life included co-founding UCC’s first ever feminist society, FemSoc.
During her time in UCC she held a variety of positions, ranging from being elected Deputy President of University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU), to UCC Student Ambassador.
Speaking to The University Times by email before tonight’s vote, Hoey said: “I am extremely honoured to have been nominated to the TCDSU Board of Trustees this evening. I want to thank TCDSU for the nomination, and thank TCDSU Student Council for their vote of confidence in me.”
“I have had an incredible working relationship with TCDSU over the past number of years, and am very excited to now be involved in a support and advisory capacity”, she said.
The Board of Trustees was created for the union in 2015 as part of a broader plan to improve on its organisation and sense of direction. The Board of Trustees is to be regularly informed of the progress of the union’s strategic plan.
On creation of the Board in March 2015, the then TCDSU President Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne observed that there was a desire for the Board members to have a variety of experiences. “You want political experience, union experience, legal experience, and business experience” McGlacken-Byrne said.
In October 2016, former TCDSU Ents Officer Finn Murphy was appointed to the board. Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, Colm O’Gorman, is also a member of the board, as well as former TCDSU President, Senator Ivana Bacik.
