Tommy Shaughnessy

Lukas Hinder, Tommy Shaughnessy, Jim Fraser © Goetz During its regular Winter Meeting in Barcelona, Spain, on January 21-22, 2017, the WDSF Presidium voted to appoint Tommy Shaughnessy, 58, of Dublin, Ireland to a newly-created employment position in WDSF.

A competitive DanceSport athlete since the age of 10, Tommy is a past Latin and Standard DanceSport Champion and has been a highly-respected adjudicator and trainer for 40 years, including owning studios in Ireland and the United States. He has judged every major DanceSport competition in the world and is in high demand as a coach, adjudicator and administrator, currently serving as President of DanceSport Ireland.

Mr. Shaughnessy now becomes "WDSF Sports Director", but in the capacity of an employee of WDSF and not as an appointment to be a Member of the WDSF Presidium. The elected position of WDSF Sports Director will remain vacant until the end of the current Presidium's term of office at the 2017 WDSF Annual General Meeting.

At the same time the Presidium also appointed Mr. Shaughnessy to be a Member of the WDSF Sports Commission.

In order to concentrate fully on his new WDSF duties Mr. Shaughnessy has resigned as a Member of the WDSF Presidium, effective immediately. He will however attend and participate in all Meetings of the WDSF Presidium and WDSF Managing Committee, and will remain as Chairperson of the WDSF Membership Commission.

Mr. Shaughnessy will begin his new duties immediately, based in Ireland.

"Tommy Shaughnessy will be a tremendous asset as our new employed WDSF Sports Director," said WDSF President Lukas Hinder, commenting on the appointment. "He is one of the most technically-qualified and one of the best-liked people in DanceSport. This is a 'big win' for WDSF. We are very lucky to have him and very pleased that he has accepted appointment to this new WDSF position."

Published on 22 January 2017