Mirjam de Koning Joins PONT

Prespa-Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) is pleased to announce that Mirjam de Koning has been named as Executive Director, effective 10 January 2017, replacing interim Executive Director David Morrison, who led the organization’s initial start-up phase. Mirjam will be responsible for the overall leadership of PONT and will oversee the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan, while guiding the organization into a regional leadership position.

Lynda Mansson, Director General of MAVA Foundation and President of PONT’s Supervisory Board said: “We are pleased to have Mirjam on our team. She has the expertise, experience and passion for nature to carry the organization forward and make it an integral part of the conservation landscape in the Wider Prespa area.”
Mirjam joined PONT for a transition period in November of last year, and as her first order of business conducted an extensive tour of the region and met with local stakeholders. In early 2017, she will manage the opening of the organization’s regional programme office in Tirana, Albania and launch PONT’s grant programme.

Mirjam has spent the last 20 years managing nature conservation projects for both governmental and non-governmental organisations across three continents. Most recently, she led a GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit) project in Lao PDR, where she developed a model on collaborative governance for the Hin Nam No National Protected Area.
Mirjam is a Dutch citizen. She holds a PhD in development studies with the subject land restitution and co-management of protected areas from the University of South Africa (UNISA).