Governance

Clairie Papazoglou, is an environmental consultant, working primarily for the UN’s Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). From 1998 to 2016 she worked for BirdLife International, at national level in Greece & Cyprus and internationally at the European office in Brussels from 2000 to 2009, holding various directorial positions. She is an ornithologist with extensive scientific experience, but also a seasoned environmental policy expert, having specialised in EU nature policy and other policies affecting nature since 1998. She also serves on the Conseil d’Administration (Board) of Tour du Valat in France and on the board of two further NGOs in Cyprus. In addition to environmental issues, she has also been engaged for many years in issues affecting the regulatory framework for NGOs, in Cyprus and Europe. She holds a Biology BSc (Hons) and a D.Phil. from Sussex University in the UK.

Demetres Karavellas is a conservation leader who has worked with WWF in various roles for almost 30 years. He has been active in the field and on key policy issues linked to natural resources, the conservation of species and critical habitats, climate change and sustainable development, at national, regional and global level. He is the CEO of WWF Greece and until recently was president of the WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative. He recently took on the role of President of the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust, a foundation supporting conservation actions in the wider Prespa-Ohrid region. He is also a member of the SDSN Leadership Council of Greece. He holds a BSc in Marine Biology from Queen Mary University and a MSc in Fisheries Biology & Management from Bangor University. He is a keen amateur underwater photographer and, with family origins in the Dodecanese, he feels most at home in the waters of the Aegean.

Alexis Karsaros is a political scientist who has worked for many years as a project manager in the fields of environmental protection, cultural heritage management and sustainable development. Growing up and being educated between two countries, Alexis was exposed to different cultures and practices that taught him a deep appreciation of diversity in all its forms. From his early professional days, Alexis has found inspiration in working with – and for – local communities. Since 2022, he has been the Executive Director of the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos – MedINA. MedINA is an organisation whose mission is to improve the well-being of local communities by conserving and protecting their natural resources and promoting their cultural heritage. At MedINA, he leads a team of scientists who combine their knowledge, creativity and passion to develop and deliver innovative solutions in response to pressing environmental and social issues.

Dr. Alexandros A. Karamanlidis is a wildlife conservationist with a special interest in the conservation of critically endangered species. Over the past 25 years his career has embraced the study and protection of both large terrestrial carnivores and ungulates in Europe and the endangered Mediterranean monk seal. Dr. Karamanlidis’ research and conservation efforts have been supported by grants from the International Bear Association, the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, and his work has been featured on BBC Earth and in the New Scientist. Dr. Karamanlidis currently serves on the IUCN Pinniped, Otter, Brown Bear and Human-Bear Conflicts Specialist Groups. In 2017, Dr. Karamanlidis received the Conservation Merit Prize from the Society for Marine Mammalogy and in 2018 he became a National Geographic Explorer. He is currently the Managing Director of ARCTUROS – Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment.

Evie Nanopoulou joined the architectural practice Thymio Papayannis & Associates (TPA) after her studies in Paris, becoming a partner in 1987 and the firm’s managing partner in 1999. TPA places landscape and the environment at the centre of their approach, and Evie manages the firm with commitment to its social role, whilst also promoting sustainable development that protects and highlights the natural and cultural wealth of each place. She believes that the strength of the firm derives from a multidisciplinary approach, the quest for innovation and professional culture. Under her leadership, TPA has extended its services into landscaping and urban design – undertaking complex, iconic international projects, such as the Athens Regeneration Project at Faliron, the Tae Kwon Do Olympic venue; the King Abdullah II Park in Amman Jordan; the “Greeks and the Sea” Cultural Park in Athens (1st prize); the cultural facilities of the Athens Conservatoire; the hotels of Amphitryon and Nafplia Palace, within the historic city and the castle of Nafplion, Greece. Evie has joined Thymio Papayannis, the SPP’s Honorary President, as a representative of Friends of Prespa since 2021.

Eftychia Alexandridou, is a Chemical Engineer (AUTH) with master’s studies in quality management. She worked as a production manager in industrial units. Since 1992 she has been working at the Goulandris Natural History Museum, where she holds the position of Director at the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (GB/WC) and the institution’s Water Quality Laboratory. She is also a member of the Executive Council of GB/WC. She has many years of experience in supervising and guiding the implementation of projects aimed at nature conservation and monitoring.

Niki Kardakari is currently the president of the Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece and has been a member of its board since 2011. She is a professional in nature and wildlife conservation and management, with a wide experience of European nature conservation policies and legislation and has been involved in work concerning the establishment, zoning and management of NATURA 2000 sites. As a field ornithologist has participated extensively in the designation of IBAs and the implementation of EU Birds Directive 79/409/EEC. She has also been involved in ICZM projects, with conservation and restoration actions in favour of protected habitats and wildlife. Her work includes dealing with spatial planning, sustainable tourism and visitor management issues. She lives in Aigio, in the northern Peloponnese, is married and has a daughter.

Yiannis Michail holds a degree in Architectural Engineering from the Technical University of Munich, a PhD in Urban Planning from the Technical University of Aachen and acquired two scholarships on urban planning from the French Government. He worked for the Ministry of Urban Planning in Hamburg for five years, as a director in the subsidiary companies of the Real Estate Bank for 24 years, was the Founding Assistant Ombudsman, 1998-2003, and head of the Qualityof-Life Cycle. He has been published many times in Greek and foreign scientific books and magazines, also publishing regular articles in daily and weekly newspapers, as well as in proceedings of scientific conferences. He was the Vice-President of ISOCARP (The Hague, 1975-78), Director of the UIA’s Educational and Cultural Spaces Work Programme (Paris, 1977 onwards) and its Secretary General (1997-2004), President of the Hellenic Architectural Society (from 2004), Officer of the ‘Ordre des Palmes’ (France, 1985), corresponding member of the German Academy of City and Spatial Planning (Germany, 1986), President of the Rotary Club of Kifissia, President of ELLET – Hellenic Society for Environment and Cultural Heritage (2008-2014) and its Vice-President from 2014 onwards.

Raphaël Billé holds a PhD in environmental management and two master’s degrees in regional planning and economics. He is Deputy Director General and Programme Director at the Tour du Valat Institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands. Prior to this, 25 years of diverse international experience in the field of environmental protection led him, in particular, to the Pacific Community, where he led the RESCCUE project for the implementation of nature-based adaptation solutions in Pacific island countries and territories from 2014 to 2019. From 2006 to 2013, he established and led the Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation programmes at IDDRI, the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations.