Charles Beer new Chairman
The Federal Council has appointed Charles Beer as new Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Pro Helvetia. The former Geneva State Councillor succeeds Mario Annoni from Bern, whose term of office expired at the end of the year.
Charles Beer is appointed by the Federal Council for a period of four years from January 1, 2014, on the recommendation of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. Aged 52, he spent ten years on the Council of State of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and his term of office ended on December 10, 2013.
In charge of education, culture and sport, Charles Beer has sat on a number of national and international bodies. He was instrumental in major cultural policy reforms, including the creation of a law on culture in his canton. Very well integrated into the Swiss political network, he is familiar with all levels of administration and has good contacts at international level.
Former Bernese State Councillor Mario Annoni is stepping down from the Board of Trustees at the end of December, after eight years as Chairman. Under his leadership, Pro Helvetia played a major role in drafting the first law on the promotion of culture, and implemented the structural changes arising from the new legal basis. Pro Helvetia also launched numerous initiatives, particularly in the fields of popular culture and digital culture. The Federal Council would like to thank Mario Annoni for his commitment.
Pro Helvetia's Board of Trustees has 9 members, including 3 women and 6 men, and representatives of all national languages. The term of office of the other 8 Board members ends in 2015. Alongside the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Pro Helvetia is the main vehicle for federal cultural promotion.
More info: www.prohelvetia.ch
