Thank you to outgoing board members and a warm welcome to new forces in the board
Upplandsbygds annual meeting 2026 was held in Östhammars municipality. At the annual meeting, the members elected a new board for Upplandsbygd. We want to extend a big and warm thank you to the board members who are now leaving their positions: Sofia Händel, Ingela Sydstrand, Karl Björnström, Maria Gardfjell, Olle Linder, and Tord Olsson. Over the years, they have contributed valuable knowledge, commitment, and experience that have been important for creating opportunities for various initiatives in our area.
At the same time, we are very happy to welcome several new board members. Among the newly elected are Jonas Boström from STF, Malin Hülpers from Coompanion Roslagen & Norrort, Maija Nouvada, entrepreneur and gardener behind Blomsterprakten Roslagen, Patrik Bremdal from Uppsala University, professor and researcher on issues including democracy, and Cecilia Petrén, entrepreneur and active within Reko-ring Vattholma–Storvreta.
We look forward to benefiting from their competence, experiences, and perspectives in the ongoing work. The board has an important role in assessing project applications, making decisions about support, and communicating and highlighting the work with locally led development.
Thank you, Ulrik!
A special thank you was directed to former chairman Ulrik Wärnsberg, who is now leaving his role after seven years of dedicated work. Ulrik has been an invaluable support and a clear role model for what a chairmanship in an association for locally led rural development can be. We at the secretariat have always been able to count on his commitment, experience, and drive. He has contributed to a culture characterized by trust, open dialogue, and shared responsibility, important prerequisites for people and ideas to grow.
The annual meeting also elected Torbjörn Einarsson as the new chairman for Upplandsbygd. Here he presents himself and his thoughts on the ongoing work:
Hello!
I want to extend a warm thank you to the annual meeting for the trust to elect me as chairman for Upplandsbygd Locally Led Development. As a politician, I represent the public sector and Vallentuna municipality on the board. I have a strong commitment to entrepreneurship, the rural civil society, and local and robust food production.
I live on a farm in Markim parish in Vallentuna, where my wife and I run a horse business and small-scale lamb production. On a daily basis, I work at the Stockholm School of Economics, where I research the organization of civil society and the society's crisis preparedness.
Upplandsbygd has done a lot of good for our rural areas, and our current strategy has been recognized as a good example by the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The uncertainties ahead of the next program period make it especially important that we continue to show the significance of LEADER, both for the rural areas in our region and for Sweden as a whole. I look forward to continuing the work together with the board, the members, and all engaged actors.
Torbjorn Einarsson
We look forward to continued strong engagement for locally led development in our area. Are you not already a member? As a member of Upplandsbygd, you get the opportunity to participate and vote at upcoming annual meetings. Read more about membership and apply via our website.