New council and commission members at FISA

Ravensbergen, from the Netherlands, will take over the spot formerly held by Tricia Smith as Smith moves to the position of FISA vice president. Ravensbergen's role as chair also gives her a position on the FISA Council. Coming into the FISA Umpiring Commission, Senda fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Nicholas Ee.

Ravensbergen has extensive involvement in rowing not only as a rower but also as a coach, competition manager, umpire and board member with the Dutch national federation. She became a member of the FISA Umpiring Commission in 2010 and before that served on the jury of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as well as the 2006 World Rowing Championships in Eton Dorney (GBR).  Ravensbergen is the regatta manager at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

Professionally, Ravensbergen has a PhD in medicine. She has served as head of the public health department of the Dutch national research and development agency and is currently Dean of the School of Sports and Nutrition at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Senda come to rowing through his university days as a rower where he was in the men's single sculls and the coxed four. He has been a FISA international umpire for 20 years. During that time Senda served on the juries at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the 2005 World Rowing Championships. He is currently the team manager of the Gifu University Rowing Team.

Professionally Senda is a medical doctor. He is currently a professor of anatomy at the medical school of Gifu University in Gifu, Japan. Senda says experience, responsibility and logical thinking make a good umpire.

The new appointments of Ravensbergen and Senda were decided by FISA's executive committee at FISA's recent joint commission meeting.