More students than EVER before have voted for the team who will #LeadYourDSU in 2017/18.
*UPDATE: Kelly and Louise have joined the team to #LeadYourDSU! Read more here.*
More students than EVER before have voted for the team who will #LeadYourDSU in 2017/18.
A record 5,455 De Montfort University (DMU) students voted for ten new members of De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU)’s Officer Team for the next academic year.
The team will be headed by new President Ahtesham Mahmood, who steps up from his VP Student Activities portfolio.
Current VP Media and Communications, Mike Mayes, retains his position and will sit alongside new DP Education Mollie Footitt, VP Student Activities Derrick Mensah and VP Welfare and Community Jessica Okwuonu.
(L-R) Jessica, Mike, Ahtesham, Mollie and Derrick will take up their new roles in July.
An all-new part-time officer team is made up of;
- Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Students’ Representative – Arron Halait;
- Disabled Students’ Representative – Demi Rixon;
- International Students’ Representative – Usaid Nagaria;
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer + (LGBTQ+) Representative – Gage Holland;
- and Women’s Representative – Sarah Burdett.
Meanwhile, this year’s National Union of Students (NUS) Delegates are Louise Cunliffe, Mollie Footitt, Ahtesham Mahmood, Lauren Thomas, Ryan Willett and Dan Winney.
Outgoing VP Welfare and Community Keira Rounsley said: “I’d like to say good luck to the new Officer Team. I think they’ve got something really exciting ahead of them; a new challenge, but I think they are all up to it.”
...but for now, it's time for the successful candidates to celebrate!
DP Education-elect, Mollie Footitt, said: “I’m very happy! The first thing I want to do is get to grips with the job and then I can get on with tackling my manifesto, which is what I’ve spoken to students about all week.
“It’s been a weird week – one of the most tiring weeks of my life – but it’s been great to speak to so many new people and it’s really changed my perspective.
“I ran last year, and I grew a lot through the process, but this year the support from people has been insane and everyone has been so good at helping people out.
“We’ve built our own little community, and I can’t wait to start working with everybody.”
Mike Mayes, who retains his position as VP Media and Communications, said: “Running was much more stressful than last year and this whole week has been more tiring, but I am so overwhelmed.
“The calibre of candidates this year has been amazing. In every single role it was difficult to work out who I was going to vote for – I’m sure it was the same for many others.
“But right now I’m actually going to go home, get into bed and order a takeaway!”
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