HANOVER – Richard (Dick) Burns of Hanover was elected to the board of directors for the Vasculitis Foundation at the national symposium on July.

It is Burns’ second term on the board of what was the Wegener’s Granulomatosis Association.

The name and the mission were changed to the Vasculitis Foundation at the end of 2005 to reflect the broader mission for support and research into all of the autoimmune vasculitic diseases.

Burns is chairman of the U.S. chapter committee and works with Christina Abele of California on the International Chapters Committee. He and his wife, Barb, also head the Maine VF Chapter that meets in Augusta three times a year.

The next meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Granite Hill Estates. Dr. Lee Ann Baggott, an Augusta Pulmonologist, will be the speaker. For directions and details, call 364-7604.

Sept. 24 to 30 is National Vasculitis Awareness Week to raise the public awareness regarding vasculitis and the people that it impacts. The Web site for the foundation is [email protected] and contains detailed information on the individual diseases, the support efforts, local contact people and the research grant program.

Burns has a PowerPoint presentation on vasculitis that would be suitable for in-service medical training or civic organizations.