DACC General Membership Meeting 2009 was a reflection on all the things DACC has done over the years. As the Chamber looks to the future in these challenging economic times, we paused to remember the past in order to appreciate and learn from it. At the same time we honored our past Presidents.

Christian Castenskiold, one of the founding fathers of the DACC, took the audience back in time when DACC was founded in 1976, at that time it was named DACC Los Angeles. He emphasized that the story actually goes further back, because the founding was inspired by the Luncheon Club in New York. That club was founded in 1931 and was for many years a center of Danish traditions; it was actually the only Danish club in New York up to 1964. Per Hækkerup, Foreign Minister at that time, suggested forming a Danish-American Trade Council, and a few years later it joined together with the old Luncheon Club and was named DACC.

A good start

Then in 1976, on the 31st of January, DACC in Los Angeles was founded by Gorm Larsen(1st President), Tommy Thomsen, Kenneth Hansen, Roy Bork, Bent Christensen and Christian Castenskiold. On May 24th 1976 DACC hosted a lunch for the Royal couple in connection with the U.S Centennial Celebration. The luncheon was a great success with more than 600 guests.

- The spirit from that first lunch meeting gave us a good start, and our purpose was defined “to stimulate and promote goodwill, trade, and business relations between United States and Denmark”, Christian Castenskiold told the audience at the General Membership Meeting.

Christian Castenskiold was President of the DACC Los Angeles from 1980 to 1984. Furthermore, he was President of the DACC in the Western United States which included L.A, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Denver from 1984 to 1988.

DACC Presidents (left to right)
- Christian Castenskiold (founder and President 1980-1984),
- Mette Haydt (President 1991-1994), – Torben Aaskov(President 2008-present),
- Soren Eilertsen (President 2006-2008),
- Robert Lord(President 1987-1989)