Maj ''Lillemor'' Arvidsson (1 May 1943 – 23 April 2012) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

and the Governor of Gotland from 1998 to 2004. Arvidsson trained as a

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

and later worked as a

nursing assistant Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living (ADLs). UAPs also provide bedside care—includi ...

at Uddevalla Hospital. Arvidsson engaged simultaneously in trade union work. In 1972, she was employed by the

Swedish Municipal Workers' Union The Swedish Municipal Workers' Union ( sv, Svenska Kommunalarbetareförbundet), is the largest trade union in Sweden with 570 000 members as of 2005, it was created 1910. It is commonly referred to as ''Kommunal'' ("''Municipal''"). The union w ...

as an academic

ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

. In 1982, she became ombudsman and in 1983 she became

Deputy President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

. In June 1988 she was appointed President of the

. She became the union's first female President. In addition, she became the first female President of any institution in the

Swedish Trade Union Confederation The Swedish Trade Union Confederation ( sv, Landsorganisationen i Sverige ; literally "National Organisation in Sweden"), commonly referred to as LO (), is a national trade union centre, an umbrella organisation for fourteen Swedish trade unions ...

(LO). From 1990 to 1991 she was also a member of the executive board of the

Swedish Social Democratic Worker's Party The Swedish Social Democratic Party, formally the Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party ( sv, Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti ; S/SAP), usually referred to as The Social Democrats ( sv, link=no, Socialdemokraterna ), is a social-de ...

. In 1995, she left her post as President of the Swedish Municipal Workers' Union because of

peptic ulcer Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines i ...

. She sat on the board of the University of Växjö and was a member of the analysis group of the

Estonia disaster The MS ''Estonia'' sank on Wednesday, 28 September 1994, between about 00:50 and 01:50 (UTC+2) as the ship was crossing the Baltic Sea, en route from Tallinn, Estonia, to Stockholm, Sweden. The sinking was one of the worst maritime disasters ...

. Arvidsson was appointed Governor of Gotland on 15 January 1998 by the

Swedish Government The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Konungariket Sveriges regering) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Ministerappointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the R ...

. During her time as governor, she was particularly involved in the issue of transport from the island to the mainland. She left her position as governor on 29 February 2004. Arvidsson was appointed Chairman of the

Swedish National Maritime Museums Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

in 2003 but left office in late 2004. She died on 23 April 2012 after a short illness.

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