About CELD

Our Philosophy

Board of Directors

A well functioning democracy is built on a foundation of trust among individuals within the local community.

That trust is developed over time through successful collaborations and cooperation.

That is the basic philosophy underlying the creation of the Coalition for Effective Local Democracy and is reflected in the Coalition’s Mission Statement.

The Executive Director of the Coalition is Dr. Michael Bell, under the guidance of a Board of Directors.

Board of Directors

Dr. Michael Bell
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA

Vianne Bell
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, USA

Thomas Boyce
Los Gatos,

California, USA

Bongani Dlamini

Brisbane,

Australia

Chris Freeman

Uniontown,

Pennsylvania, USA

Jeff Freeman

Uniontown,

Pennsylvania, USA

Dr. Lenneal Henderson

Petersburg,

Virginia, USA

Johan Mollentze

King William's Town,

South Africa

Sally Potgieter
Port Elizabeth,

South Africa

Rory Riordan
Port Elizabeth,

South Africa

Vision Statement

Board of Directors

Vision Statement

The Coalition for Effective Local Democracy seeks to Strengthen Local Democratic Governance through citizen empowerment

This is accomplished by:

Investing in citizens through projects providing experiential learning.
Investing in community leaders through training, internships and practical experiences.
Investing in youth through enhanced educational opportunities, sport, and youth initiated projects.