A Letter From Our New Board President

Dear Georgia Chapter Supporters,

I am honored and excited to write you in my capacity as the newly-elected Chapter President for the Georgia Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.  As the President of our local Board, I am tasked to work in partnership with our Chapter Board, the Chapter staff, our national staff and all of you, our supporters, to ensure we are engaging the IBD community and working to advance the Foundation’s mission: to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve the quality of life of children and adults with IBD.

My first exposure to the Foundation was shortly after my Crohn’s diagnosis in 1999. As a college student, I did not have enough life experience to take advantage of all the Foundation had to offer and wrongly thought that I was “too cool” for support groups. It was not until I started attending events and volunteering that I saw how truly exceptional our Chapter was. As my involvement with the Foundation increased--participating in Take Steps with “The Z Team,” completing a half marathon with Team Challenge in wine county with team “We Have the Runs,” and attending the Torch Gala--I saw the reach of our amazing community and the dedication of those involved with our Chapter. As Chapter President, I look forward to helping deepen that sense of community for others and doing my part to ensure that no patient or family faces IBD alone. 

Those of us who have been impacted by IBD know that progress is an urgent priority. Cures cannot come fast enough. Our work here in Georgia to raise funds to support our mission programs is critical.  I hope you will join us in the coming year at our Golf Classic, Take Steps walk, Torch Gala, Rockin’ for the Cure event, and Emily’s Trick-or-Treat for a Cure. Each of these events helps raise funds to support research, advocacy, and patient programs. And none of them could happen without you and others dedicated to our cause.

There are a lot of very exciting things happening at the Foundation.  In the coming months, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation will launch a new 4-year strategic plan.  I look forward to sharing the details of that plan with you soon. I also look forward to working alongside this incredible community of volunteers, donors, and supporters to one day have a world without IBD. 

Please reach out to me or to our amazing Chapter staff if you would like to get involved (or more involved).  This community is powered by people, and the collective impact we make when we come together is real. 

With gratitude,

Scott Zweigel

Chapter President, Georgia Chapter Board of Trustees