In her speech before the elections, Ms. Paliou emphasized: “The work of HELMEPA is the work of all of us: the members, the volunteers, young and old, the collaborators, and of course the HELMEPA team, the Board of Directors and our secretariat.
Every year, we break the record of the previous year: in participation, in actions, in reach, in resonance and in impact. Tens of thousands of children, young people, professionals and citizens are informed, sensitized, participate in our actions and form a new relationship with the sea.
Every spontaneous “bravo, continue, your work is meaningful” that we are often told, whether from a ship, or through a school classroom or in a square, gives us the strength to continue with more momentum.
And we will continue with momentum, especially now that we have also envisioned a space open to all, the HELMEPA Home, where everyone will connect with the sea. A gift from HELMEPA to society, a legacy for future generations”.
Mr. Aristidis Pittas, outgoing treasurer, bid farewell to HELMEPA amidst warm applause and a particularly emotional atmosphere, after first presenting the Union’s financial data, which demonstrate a stable, healthy and upward trajectory, despite the significant expansion of the work.
The general director of HELMEPA, Ms. Olga Stavropoulou, presented the results of the outgoing Board of Directors’ three-year term, during which record participation was recorded, with a plethora of new programs and outreach that reached 18 million people across Europe.
The vice president, Mr. Georgios Karageorgiou and Ms. Irene Daifa (general secretary 2022-2025) referred to the impressive, qualitative and high-impact work that has been produced in the last five years, noting that, based on their long-term participation in HELMEPA, a comparable volume and quality of actions has not been recorded historically.
HELMEPA honored the Konstantakopoulos family with a special tribute to the Junior HELMEPA, in memory of the late Captain Vassilis Konstantakopoulos, who was one of the most consistent and major allies of the program. A video was shown dedicated to the long-standing support of the family, through the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation and the member-company Costamare, which have supported the program for decades.
Since its founding in 1993, Junior HELMEPA has inspired more than 650,000 children through 65,000 and more environmental actions across the country, cultivating knowledge, values and responsibility for the protection of the sea.
The president, Ms. Semira Paliou, presented to Mr. Achilleas Konstantakopoulos an honorary plaque with a painting by the 2nd Kindergarten of Chora, Messinia, as well as the art work Aegean Cross by visual artist Micha Cattaui, as a commemorative gift.
With the completion of the General Assembly and the electoral process, the inaugural plenary session followed.
Specifically, the new Board of Directors of HELMEPA is as follows:
President: Paliou Semira
1st vice president: Karageorgiou Georgios
2nd vice president: Chatzioannou Maria
General secretary: Xylas Ioannis
Treasurer: Livanou Kalli
Deputy treasurer: Antoniou Charis
Special secretary: Pappa Milena
Members: Apostolopoulos Spyros Nikolas, Giakoumelos Andreas, Dalakouras Michail, Kallianis Georgios, Kanellakis Fragkiskos, Martinou Ioanna, Beis Athanasios, Daifa Eirini, Degiannis Christos, Pitta Eirini, Polychronopoulou Eleni.
Participating in the new Board of Directors ex officio, according to the statutes, is the general secretary of the HMC Mr. Emmanouil Tsikalakis.
The runners-up of the new Board of Directors are: Antoniadis Konstantinos, Glykas Alexandros, Zachariadis Panagiotis, Matthaiou Dimitrios, Kalathaki Anna, Kontogouris Leandros and Stefanou Chrysanthi.
