History

Learn more about the ECHE Meetings that took place from the 1960s.

Foundation in 1995

The idea to found an International Society for Functional Electrical Stimulation was born in 1993 after the Ljubljana IFESS meeting in Porto Roz, Slovenia.

The society itself, with the name IFESS, was finally founded two years later in 1995 during the 5th Vienna International Workshop on Functional Electrical Stimulation.

Founding Invitation

Copy of the original document (PDF, 375.19 KB)

Officers and Boards of Directors 1996 – today

2023
President:
Simona Ferrante
Vice President:
Erika G. Spaich
Secretary:
Tamsyn Street
Treasurer:
Cesar Marquez-Chin
Board:
Christine Azevedo-Coste, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Ken Yoshida, Matija Milosevic, Nur Azah Hamzaid, Samuel Lee, Thierry Keller, Winfried Mayr
2022
President:
Simona Ferrante
Vice President:
Erika G. Spaich
Secretary:
Jonathan Jarvis
Treasurer:
Cesar Marquez-Chin
Board:
Christine Azevedo-Coste, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Ken Yoshida, Matija Milosevic, Samuel Lee, Tamsyn Street, Thierry Keller, Winfried Mayr
2021
President:
Simona Ferrante
Vice President:
Erika G. Spaich
Secretary:
Jonathan Jarvis
Treasurer:
Cesar Marquez-Chin
Board:
Christine Azevedo-Coste, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Ken Yoshida, Matija Milosevic, Tamsyn Street, Thierry Keller, Thomas Janssen, Winfried Mayr
2020
President:
Simona Ferrante
Vice President:
Erika G. Spaich
Secretary:
Jonathan Jarvis
Treasurer:
Cesar Marquez-Chin
Board:
Christine Azevedo-Coste, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Ken Yoshida, Milos Popovic, Tamsyn Street, Thierry Keller, Thomas Janssen, Winfried Mayr
2019
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Simona Ferrante
Secretary:
Erika G. Spaich
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Cesar Marquez-Chin, Christine Azevedo-Coste, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Jonathan Jarvis, Ken Yoshida, Milos Popovic, Thomas Janssen, Winfried Mayr
2018
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Simona Ferrante
Secretary:
Erika Geraldina Spaich
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Christine Azevedo Coste, Dingguo Zhang, Gad Alon, Glen Davis, Ines Bersch-Porada, Ken Yoshida, Milos Popovic, Phil Troyk, Winfried Mayr
2017
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Simona Ferrante
Secretary:
Erika Geraldina Spaich
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Christine Azevedo Coste, Dingguo Zhang, Gad Alon, Ines Bersch-Porada, Jonathan Jarvis, Ken Yoshida, Milos Popovic, Phil Troyk, Winfried Mayr
2016
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Simona Ferrante
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Christine Azevedo Coste, Dingguo Zhang, Erika G. Spaich, Gad Alon, Ines Bersch-Porada, Jonathan Jarvis, Manfred Bijak, Milos Popovic, Phil Troyk
2015
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Simona Ferrante
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Christine Azevedo Coste, Erika G. Spaich, Gad Alon, Ines Bersch-Porada, Jonathan Jarvis, Manfred Bijak, Milos Popovic, Philip Troyk, Robert F. Kirsch
2014
President:
Thierry Keller
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Simona Ferrante
Treasurer:
Michael Russold
Board:
Christine Azevedo Coste, Ché Fornusek, Erika G. Spaich, Gad Alon, Manfred Bijak, Nur Azah Hamzaid, Philip Troyk, Robert F. Kirsch, Yoichi Shimada
2013
President:
Jane Burridge
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Vivian Mushahwar
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Alberto Cliquet Jr., Ché Fornusek, Michael Russold, Nick Donaldson, Paul Taylor, Philip Troyk, Robert F. Kirsch, Simona Ferrante, Yoichi Shimada
2012
President:
Jane Burridge
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Vivian Mushahwar
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Alberto Cliquet Jr., Andy Hoffer, Christine Azevedo Coste, Ché Fornusek, Michael Russold, Nick Donaldson, Paul Taylor, Simona Ferrante, Yoichi Shimada
2011
President:
Jane Burridge
Vice President:
Glen Davis
Secretary:
Vivian Mushahwar
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Alberto Cliquet Jr., Andy Hoffer, Christine Azevedo Coste, Ken Yoshida, Martin Schüttler, Maura Whittaker, Nick Donaldson, Paul Taylor, Simona Ferrante
2010
President:
Manfred Bijak
Vice President:
Jane Burridge
Secretary:
Glen Davis
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Andy Hoffer, Brian Smith, Christine Azevedo Coste, Ken Yoshida, Martin Schüttler, Maura Whittaker, Milos Popovic, Simona Ferrante, Vivian Mushahwar
2009
President:
Manfred Bijak
Vice President:
Jane Burridge
Secretary:
Glen Davis
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Andy Hoffer, Brian Smith, Dejan Popovic, Julie Armstrong, Ken Yoshida, Martin Schüttler, Maura Whittaker, Milos Popovic, Vivian Mushahwar
2008
President:
Manfred Bijak
Vice President:
Jane Burridge
Secretary:
Glen Davis
Treasurer:
Thierry Keller
Board:
Andy Hoffer, Brian Smith, Dejan Popovic, Janis Daly, Julie Armstrong, Kazonuri Seki, Milos Popovic, Thomas Stieglitz, Vivian Mushahwar
2007
President:
Paul Meadows
Vice President:
Manfred Bijak
Secretary:
Andy Hoffer
Treasurer:
Milos Popovic
Board:
Dejan Popovic, Glen Davis, Jane Burridge, Janis Daly, Jochen Quintern, Kazonuri Seki, Thierry Keller, Thomas Stieglitz, Vivian Mushahwar
2006
President:
Paul Meadows
Vice President:
Manfred Bijak
Secretary:
Nico Rijkhoff
Treasurer:
Milos Popovic
Board:
Andy Hoffer, Christine Singleton, Graham Creasy, Jane Burridge, Jochen Quintern, Kazonuri Seki, Maurizio Ferrarin, Thomas Stieglitz, Vivian Mushahwar
2005
President:
Paul Meadows
Vice President:
Manfred Bijak
Secretary:
Nico Rijkhoff
Treasurer:
Milos Popovic
Board:
Christine Singleton, Graham Creasy, Ian Swain, Jochen Quintern, Maurizio Ferrarin, Mohamad Sawan, Thomas Stieglitz, Vivian Mushahwar
2004
President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Vice President:
Paul Meadows
Secretary:
Manfred Bijak
Treasurer:
James Abbas
Board:
Glen Davis, Graham Creasy, Ian Swain, Maurizio Ferrarin, Milos Popovic, Mohamad Sawan, Robert Riener, Ron Triolo, Tomaz Karcnik
2003
President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Vice President:
Paul Meadows
Secretary:
Manfred Bijak
Treasurer:
James Abbas
Board:
Charles Robinson, Glen Davis, Hunter Peckham, Ian Swain, Jane Burridge, Mohamad Sawan, Robert Riener, Ron Triolo, Tomaz Karcnik
2002
President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Vice President:
Paul Meadows
Secretary:
Manfred Bijak
Treasurer:
James Abbas
Board:
Charles Robinson, Glen Davis, Hunter Peckham, Jane Burridge, Joyce Campbell, Robert Riener, Roger Nathan, Ron Triolo, Warren Grill
2001
President:
Ross Davis
Vice President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Secretary:
Aleks Kostov
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Brian Andrews, Charles Robinson, Hunter Peckham, Jane Burridge, Joyce Campbell, Richard Stein, Roger Nathan, Tadej Bajd, Warren Grill
2000
President:
Ross Davis
Vice President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Secretary:
Paul Meadows
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Arthur Prochaska, Brian Andrews, Joyce Campbell, Nozomu Hoshimiya, Primoz Strojnik, Richard Stein, Roger Nathan, Tadej Bajd, Warren Grill
1999
President:
Ross Davis
Vice President:
Thomas Sinkjaer
Secretary:
Aleks Kostov
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Arthur Prochaska, Brian Andrews, Joyce Campbell, Nozomu Hoshimiya, Primoz Strojnik, Richard Stein, Tadej Bajd, Warren Grill, Yosunobu Handa
1998
President:
Uros Stanic
Vice President:
Ross Davis
Secretary:
Paul Meadows
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Alojz Kralj, Arthur Prochaska, Dejan Popovic, Joyce Campbell, Nozomu Hoshimiya, Primoz Strojnik, Robert Jaeger, Thomas Sinkjaer, Yosunobu Handa
1997
President:
Uros Stanic
Vice President:
Ross Davis
Secretary:
Paul Meadows
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Alojz Kralj, Dejan Popovic, Gudrun Sigurjonsdottir, Helika Benko, Joyce Campbell, Moshe Solomonow, Robert Jaeger, Thomas Sinkjaer, Yosunobu Handa
1996
President:
Uros Stanic
Vice President:
Ross Davis
Secretary:
Paul Meadows
Treasurer:
Peter Veltink
Board:
Alojz Kralj, Byron Masolais, Dejan Popovic, Gudrun Sigurjonsdottir, Helika Benko, Moshe Solomonow, Nicholas Donaldson, Robert Jaeger, Stanley Salmons