Alliance board member, Di Ellis CBE, has been awarded a Damehood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
She is recognised for her long and exceptional service to the sport of rowing, which she served for 15 years as chairman and a further nine years as executive chairman. She is currently president of the organising committee for the 2013 World Cup. Di has served the Alliance as a board member for 13 years, six of them served as deputy chair.
Tim Lamb, Alliance chief executive, says that the award is no less than she deserves.
“Di has earned this recognition thanks to her extraordinary voluntary dedication to sport. Although she is being specifically recognised for her contribution to rowing, the time she has given up to guide the work of the Alliance has had a huge influence on the whole of sport.
"There are tens of thousands of volunteers in our world and they are all important, but this award elevates Di because her commitment has singled her out as one of the outstanding sports administrators of her generation.
"We’re very lucky at the Alliance to have been able to work with her.”
The award is another milestone in what has been a memorable 12 months for ‘Dame Di’. In November she was presented with the FISA 2012 World Rowing Distinguished Service to International Rowing award.
Di also steps down from the Alliance board in July, following the conclusion of the World Rowing Cup at Eton Dorney later this month. Following this busy year, she wasn’t expecting further developments.
“I was so surprised to find out and in fact quite overwhelmed by the news. Rowing has given me so much pleasure over the years and to receive this recognition is a very special honour.
Volunteering in sport is a reward in itself but I do hope that my recognition will encourage others to nominate those unsung heroes in sport.”
Download the full Queen's Birthday Honours List.
To find out more about Sport and Recreation board members visit the board members section of the website.
