During the last General Assembly of the Icelandic Diabetes Association (Diabetes Ísland), Mr Helgi K Georgsson was appointed as the new President of the association, succeeding Ms Sigridur Johannsdottir, who has now retired.
Mr Georgsson has been living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) since he was a young man, and his 14-year-old daughter has also been living with T1D since she was very young. He has served on Diabetes Ísland’s Board since 2021, initially as a representative of the parents/children’s group. Mr Georgsson is committed to continuing the initiatives and the good work carried out under Ms Johannsdottir’s presidency.
Since 1999, Ms Johannsdottir had served on the Diabetes Ísland Board , starting as editor of the association’s magazine and, since 2007, as President. Shortly after the beginning of her first term as President, the association transitioned from being run purely by volunteers to hiring an employee to manage the office.
The new employee also managed the association’s magazine and other activities previously handled by volunteers. Under Ms. Johannsdottir’s leadership, the association underwent significant changes, including the increased use of IT technology. This included developing the association’s website, developing a digital newsletter and new modes of communication with members, and creating the association’s Facebook page to promote activities. A few years ago, Diabetes Ísland’s magazine transitioned from being printed and mailed to each member to being published online on the association’s website.