VANCOUVER, B.C., Dec. 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) today announced the appointment of Doramy Ehling as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ehling has been the Chief Operating Officer of the Foundation for 11 years. As CEO, she will lead RHF in its vision of a fully inclusive and accessible world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential.

Founder and current CEO Rick Hansen will elevate his role to Founder. Hansen does not plan to reduce the amount of time or energy he dedicates to RHF. In elevating to Founder, he will focus his time where it has maximum impact. This includes being a key advocate for change, building external relationships and continuing to inspire and engage audiences through public appearances.

“I requested this transition and I’m thrilled with the support I’ve received from the Board of Directors and our Executive team. The Foundation has made incredible progress for people with disabilities since my Man In Motion World Tour over 30 years ago, and there is no one better to continue this legacy than Doramy.” said Hansen.

Hansen and Ehling will both report directly to the Foundation’s Board of Directors including Foundation Chair and CEO of Vancity, Tamara Vrooman. “Doramy is an exceptional leader who’s made an incredibly positive impact on both the Foundation and throughout her career for people with disabilities. The Board is confident in her ability to lead RHF in its goal to continue to remove barriers for people with disabilities and make Canada fully accessible.” said Vrooman. The realignment of responsibilities will not impact how the Foundation delivers programs for donors and the public.

Ehling has supported the development of several innovations at RHF including the Rick Hansen Institute (a global translational research network) and the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ program. Prior to the Foundation, Ehling worked for over 27 years in high performance sport for several national and multi-sport organizations and for the Government of Canada (Sport Canada) where she worked with the Federal Secretariat on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“With new federal accessibility legislation on the way and the national expansion of our accessibility certification program, positive strides continue to be made towards improving the quality of life for people with disabilities”, said Ehling. “I’m dedicated to our Foundation’s mission and honoured to help ensure Rick’s legacy continues”.

The appointment was finalized following the recent quarterly Foundation Board meeting and is effective immediately.

About the Rick Hansen Foundation
The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) was established in 1988, following the completion of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. For over 30 years, RHF has worked to raise awareness, change attitudes, and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Visit www.rickhansen.com to learn more.

Media Contact
Dawn Tse, Publicist
Rick Hansen Foundation
D: 778-296-1541
M: 778-229-7532
dtse@rickhansen.com