Santiago de Compostela, 21 September 2026 – The board (Padroado) of the Fundación Pública Galega para o Apoio ao Exercicio da Capacidade Xurídica, known as Funga, appointed her managing director at an extraordinary meeting in San Caetano Paula Sande as managing director (directora xerente). The Xunta de Galicia announced the decision in a statement on Monday.
Paula Sande is a qualified teacher and, according to the Xunta, has worked in social services for many years, focusing on promoting independence and active ageing among older people. From 2004 to 2020, she was managing director of the Asociación Cultural Galega de Formación Permanente de Adultos (Ategal). During this time, the association consolidated and expanded, the statement says.
The minister responsible for social affairs and equality Fabiola García praised Sande’s professional career and thanked the previous postholder Eloína Ingerto for her work leading Funga. Ingerto moved to another role within the Xunta de Galicia’s administrative structure in June 2026.
Funga is a public foundation of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. It supports adults in exercising their legal capacity and works closely with courts, social services and civil society organisations. The foundation is overseen by the regional government. The statement gave no information about changes to programmes or budgets in connection with the appointment.
The change at the head of Funga matters for the practical provision of legal support in Galicia. Management decisions can shape cooperation with associations, support providers and local councils, and generally set priorities for projects that strengthen autonomy and address vulnerability. The Xunta de Galicia did not initially specify the new managing director’s priorities.
The appointment was made on the same day that the statement was published in Santiago de Compostela. No further details about the procedure followed by the board (Padroado) were released. Funga’s organisational information refers to oversight by the Xunta de Galicia and to the transparency and governance standards that apply to public foundations in the Autonomous Community.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).