Bruno Lopreiato has been elected as the new president of CNA Multicultural Services Inc. The Board met on 24 March 2022 in the Bossley Park office, accepted the resignation of Giovanni Testa, who had been the organisation’s founding president. Testa said he was happy to have led the Italian association for 7 years, since 2015, successfully making it one of the most important in Sydney and the most active in terms of both number and quality of initiatives.
“During the pandemic, – said Testa – between lockdowns and curfews, while many Italian associations shut their doors and the Italian institutions were not meeting the needs of the community, CNA offered ongoing support, amidst severe social crisis. Our volunteers continued to provide telephone assistance, distribute masks and meals at home for the most vulnerable. We even organised an Italian Republic Day with the participation of key leaders in the state of NSW”.
“CNA is a great story, – added Testa, – all of us are useful but anyone can be replaced. The time has come for us to bring about some internal change and try to implement new ideas. Academic research on associations, even by Australian bodies such as ACNC indicates that when a president’s term is too long, associations suffer. So it’s time to give way to a new president and start with change at the top. I thank everyone who has helped me over the years to make CNA a great and respected organisation.”
Bruno Lopreiato’s election as President of CNA was welcomed by both the Board and members, with a view of restructuring the association following the pandemic and moving with confidence into the future.
“CNA must continue the mission for which it was created, – declared Lopreiato – that is to serve the community in the areas of social assistance, information, Italian language and culture and social cohesion. I believe that my role as president is to contribute to giving the association a certain future, to continue looking forward. I thank the members of the Board for their trust, during my time as treasurer and now as president. Fostering unity and continuity will be the two main objectives of my office.”
