Governance

The Small Islands Organisation (SMILO) was officially established on December 7, 2016. It is an association under the French law (1901 law) and works at the international level. 

It is composed of a representative body (the General Assembly), a decision-making body (the Board of Directors) whose members are elected by the General Assembly, a management body (the Bureau) and finally an operational body (the Secretariat). 

General Assembly

The General Assembly includes all members of the association.

It meets at least once every year when convened by the Board.

Decisions are made with 50% plus one of the votes cast.

The founding members of the association are:

  • BERNARD Fabrice
  • ESTEVE Roger
  • PETIT Sylvain
  • PRODROMIDES Maxime

The President, assisted by the members of the Board of Directors, chairs the Assembly and presents the association’s state of affairs and activity report.

The Treasurer presents its management report and submits the annual accounts (balance sheets, income statements and annexes) for approval by the Assembly. The Secretary prepares the minutes and signs them.

Board of Directors

Tatienne BE

Diana region, north of Madagascar, is rich in exceptional biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes, such as the Emerald Sea and its islets, which are engaged in the SMILO labelling process. Tatienne BE, Director of development for DIANA Region, represents their Island Committee.

Tatienne was born in 1981 in Diego Suarez. After graduating, she obtained a DEUG in philosophy and a BTS in international trade. After a few years of experience in the hotel industry and wellness sector, Tatienne began a career in politics and became the First Assistant to the Mayor of the urban community of Diego Suarez in 2014. The following year, she got the position she occupies today at Diana Region.

Fabrice BERNARD

Graduated in biology and urban planning, Fabrice BERNARD has been developing and coordinating several countries’ coastal and small island conservation projects for over 20 years as a European and International Delegate for Conservatoire du littoral.

His approach considers the territory as ecosystem support for human uses in a «coevolution Man/Nature» dynamic. Fabrice is positioned as an interlocutor facilitating relations between actors from different horizons and skills around integrated territorial management.

Bruno COSTA-MARINI

Bruno Costa-Marini, 61 years old, of engineering formation, has an international career in IT (USA, Japan, Europe, Middle East …). In parallel, he has always been involved in associative activities, for example, with Action Against Hunger NGO that he accompanied for two years to set up a mutual fund. Also involved in environmental protection, he worked for four years for the Conservatoire du littoral, first on a European program to develop land policies in UE Mediterranean countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece), then on a mission of valorization of the building properties. With Corsican origins, Bruno has a particular attachment to islands and islanders. The efficient field approach and the ambitious and international vision of SMILO convinced him to become a facilitator for Santa Luzia island in Cape Verde.

Antonio DE ABREU

António Abreu holds a Doctorate in Marine Biology and the title of Environment Specialist awarded by The Order of Biologists. He is currently a Research Associate and manages the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity Safeguard for Sustainable Development at Coimbra University, Portugal. He has extensive experience in the field of the environment, notably in matters of management, event assessment, marine biology and ecology, the integrated management of coastal zones, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and protected areas with a specific focus on islands.He occupied the position of Regional Director of the Environment for the government of Madeira and, more recently, the post of Programme Specialist for Ecological Sciences with UNESCO in Paris, in the area of Biosphere Reserves, Geoparks and biodiversity conservation. Born in Madeira, this true islander has his own definition of the word ‘island’: “a piece of land linked to other pieces of land by sea”. Based on his personal and professional experience with islands all over the world, he embraces the oneness of islands: their heritage (be it natural, historical, cultural or geographical, material or immaterial) and the constant challenges they face when developing socio-economic activities that are positive for the Environment and the quality of life of islanders.

Roger ESTEVE

Now retired, Roger remains very active in the field of nature protection. It participates in the work of various bodies such as the Regional Scientific Council for Natural Heritage (CSRPN) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In addition, he chairs the Training Institute for Research and Expertise in the Underground Environment (IFREEMIS). Roger Estève co-founded the SMILO program in 2014 with Maxime Prodromidès and Sylvain Petit. He is now its treasurer and one of its many most active experts.
What he appreciates at SMILO is its dynamics, friendliness and shared convictions. SMILO is the demonstration that a light structure close to the ground is perfectly adapted to respond to local environmental issues. Roger Estève led a professional career within the Ministry of the Environment, which led him to the northern Alps, then the gorges of the Ardèche and the shores of the Mediterranean.

Kate BROWN

Kate Brown has led the Global Island Partnership since 2009 and is based in New Zealand. She is an island partnership and network specialist and, with GLISPA, advises governments, NGOs and others on strategies for working together to improve the lives of island people across the globe. She is a co-lead of the Local2030 Islands Network, a new network of island economies focused on advancing sustainable development in a locally and culturally appropriate way and an adviser to a range of other networks and initiatives, including the Climate Strong Islands Network, the board of Island Conservation, Blue Nature Alliance, Micronesia Challenge, Caribbean Challenge Initiative, Aloha+Challenge, Coalition of Fragile Ecosystems, Niue Ocean Wide, and many more.
She is a proud parent of 4 children and a wahine Maori – from Tauranga Moana (Ngai te Rangi, Te Iwi Morehu) in New Zealand.

Gregg HOWALD

With over 28 years of experience, Gregg Howald is a leading expert in the field of island restoration. He has been involved in the eradication of invasive species from more than 75 islands in eight countries. With a diverse technical background grounded in ecotoxicology, Gregg’s focus has evolved into conservation diplomacy and is a key member of controversial projects. He helps lead public engagement processes, where he supports the communication of risks and benefits of projects to inform values‐based decisions, including regulatory compliance processes and stakeholder engagement. He has developed a network of global partners from government agencies, private industry, NGOs, academic institutions, and local communities. Gregg is currently working on building networks of multilateral and transboundary public-private partnerships to bring industry, government, scientists, and NGOs together under national and international policy frameworks that are focused on island restoration programs, with a goal to increase the scale, scope, and pace of the eradication of invasive species from insular ecosystems. Since 2021 is a member of SMILO’s Board of Directors and a delegate for North America.

Sami BEN HAJ

“PIM Initiative” is an NGO for promoting and assisting Mediterranean small island management through the implementation of on-field practical actions and pragmatic solutions, promoting exchanges of know-how and knowledge between protectors and specialists of the Mare Nostrum. Promoting meetings, capitalizing on and disseminating knowledge are the principal axes of its action, with the support of a multidisciplinary experts pool, site managers, rangers, institutions and NGOs.

PIM Initiative is represented by its president, Sami BEN HAJ, consulting ecologist and PhD in oceanology. With over twenty years of experience in the conservation and management of island heritage, this enthusiast has travelled all Mediterranean shores from the city of Bizerte, Tunisia, to meet small islands.

Catherine LEONARD

Catherine Leonard joined the National Trust (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) in 1999 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with a background in modern languages and international public and cultural relations. Prior to her appointment as Secretary-General of INTO, Catherine was responsible for the Trust’s work with overseas heritage conservation groups, running the European Exchange Programme and managing the European Network of National Heritage Organisations. She has led INTO since its foundation in 2007.

Annie JOUGA

Annie JOUGA, born in Dakar in 1953, completed her higher education in Paris and obtained a DPLG architectural diploma in 1978 at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris la Villette. Works since in her agency J & T architects and associates created in co-management. From 2002 to 2022, she was the Deputy Mayor of Gorée Island, representing the Island Committee on the SMILO Board of Directors. She is also elected Councilor of the city of Dakar from 2014 to 2022 and President of the Urban Mobility and Infrastructure Commission.

Beyond her professional career, it is a real commitment that motivates Annie, a lover of heritage. She is now the administrator of the University College of Architecture in Dakar, which she founded in 2008, to become a hub for the development of architecture in Africa beyond forming the principal axes of architecture, urban planning and heritage.

Maxime PRODROMIDES

SMALL ISLANDS ORGANISATION President was born in 1965 and lived on the island of Porquerolles, where his family had lived since 1912. He’s also President of the Economic and Social Council (CESC) of Port-Cros national Park since 2013.

Author, director, and publisher (1985-2012), Maxime has written several documentaries for french television channels (Arte, Canal+), devoted to science and archaeology. He’s a History of Art and Image Anthropology graduate at Paris Ecole des Hautes Etudes (1995-2000) and has also graduated in oenology and viticulture since 2013.

Kahaia ROBERT

 

Fredéric TARDIEU

In 2011, Frédéric and Chris TARDIEU became the owners of a small island in the Philippines, Pangatalan. They create the Sulubaaï Foundation to preserve Palawan’s natural resources and restore marine biodiversity with local populations. Pangatalan is labelled sustainable island Smilo, Hope Spot Mission Blue, Zero carbon resort PCSD etc.

Today, 25 people, mainly residents of neighbouring villages, work and contribute to the ecological restoration and sustainable development of La Baie. In addition, the Sulubaaï Foundation has created a private Marine Protected Area and three community MPAs in total; more than 200 hectares are monitored daily. The Sea Academy project is engaged in Shark Fin Bay, and other villages want to join this initiative to regenerate fishery resources. Sulubaai will build, in the second half of 2022, the first ecological restoration centre in Asia.

Bureau

  • The Bureau is responsible for the association’s day-to-day management and preparation of the Board of Directors meetings.
  • It is formed by:
    • PRODROMIDES Maxime, President
    • ESTEVE Roger, Treasurer
    • DE ABREU Antonio, Secretary

Secretariat

  • SMILO Secretariat implements the Board of Directors’ decisions and follows the strategies adopted by the General Assembly.
  •  It is composed of:
    • PETIT Sylvain – Executive Secretary
    • LE HUEDE Domitille – Project manager
    • FERRETTI Marta – Project manager
    • BODIGUEL Quentin – Project manager
    • GROUARD Cyrielle – Project manager