Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Friday 12 april 2019

Ms. Hellen van der Wal unanimously elected Board Chair DCNA

servation organizations on Aruba, Bonaire, Cu-
raçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. By
creating a united voice and sharing resources,
skills and experience, DCNA is able to strength-
en the network and support conservation initia-
tives throughout the Dutch Caribbean. DCNA
also aims to provide the parks throughout the
region with a sustainable funding future.
“A new Board Chair always has new ideas. It
is important that the six islands stick together became member of the Supervisory Board of
although that sometimes is challenging due to the National Park Foundation of Aruba. As per
the constitutional change of the Kingdom and 3th of April 2019, Ms. Hellen van der Wal is the
the special position of the BES-islands” explains unanimously elected Chairperson of the DCNA.
Ms. van der Wal. Furthermore Ms. van der Wal Hellen van der Wal is very much socially en-
wants to strengthen the alliance function the gaged. She was one of the founders of the Aru-
DCNA was founded for. ban Children’s Telephone Foundation and was
Hellen A. van der Wal was born in the Nether- elected Caribbean Representative at the NGO
lands and raised in Aruba. The Aruban cunucu Advisory Council for follow up to the UN Secre-
ORANJESTAD — The Board of the Dutch Carib- (countryside) and the Caribbean Sea were her tary General’s Study on Violence Against Chil-
bean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is proud to an- playground for years. After finishing secondary dren. In 2005 she founded the Society & Crime
nounce the recent appointment of Ms. Hellen school on Aruba she studied journalism and Foundation, to promote scientific research and
van der Wal as its new Chairperson. The DCNA law in the Netherlands. In 1990 she returned to the development of educational material and
is a non-profit foundation and regional network Aruba, working at different positions within the projects in the field of safety and prevention.
created to support and assist nature organiza- Department of Justice.
tions on the six Dutch Caribbean islands. DCNA In 2018 her government career came to an Due to her interest and former career she wants
aims to safeguard biodiversity and promote end, when she was appointed member on be- to put extra attention to child participation in
the sustainable management of the natural re- half of Aruba at the Aruban Board of Financial nature conservation on the six islands. Other
sources of the islands both on land and in the Supervision. That same year she became a tasks facing Ms van der Wal as Chairperson in-
water for the benefit of present and future gen- board member to the Fundacion Parke Nacio- clude finding a new Director, improving gover-
erations. nal Aruba. Since 2018 she is the representative nance as well as based on needs and priorities
of the Aruban National Park Foundation in the defined by the parks themselves, develop con-
The DCNA works with dedicated nature con- DCNA General Board. In 2019 Ms van der Wal crete strategies and program outlines.q