Helene Hellmark Knutsson – Governor of Västerbotten
Helene Hellmark Knutsson is the newly appointed Governor of Västerbotten. Prior to becoming Governor she served as Minister of Higher Education and Research until 2019. She is a native of Stockholm and looks forward to learning more about the Barents cooperation.
Roman Gokkoev – International Barents Secretariat
Roman Gokkoev has been involved in the Barents Cooperation on the regional level since January 2008, first coordinating the Oulu regional chairmanship in the BRC and later working as a Barents Coordinator/Manager of International Affairs with the Council of Oulu region. Originally, he comes from Petrozavodsk in Russian Karelia and during the past 20 years, he has been living and working in Finland. During 2000-2007, he was working at the University of Oulu (environmental technology development and educational projects in the Barents region). Since 2017, he has been working as an Executive Officer at International Barents Secretariat (IBS) in Kirkenes.
Annika Nordström – Regional Council of Västerbotten, Sweden
Annika Nordström has been involved in the Barents cooperation within JWGHS (Joint working group of health and social issues) as a regional representative in CYAR (Children and Youth At Risk) since 2014. She works in her profession as head of a research and development unit within the Västerbotten Region, R&D Welfare. The main target group for the activities are managers and employees in the social services in the county’s fifteen municipalities and the purpose is to support them in their work based on an evidence-based practice. Within the framework of R&D Welfare, Annika has run several research projects with a focus on the special challenges that are at hand for the small municipalities in sparsely populated areas.
Daria Makhotina – Barents Regional Youth Council, Board member and Russian Federation, Murmansk region representative
Daria Makhotina has been involved in Barents cooperation since 2015, graduated from Murmansk Arctic State University where she studied International relations with a focus on the Arctic. Currently pursuing a Master degree at Roskilde University in Nordic Urban Planning, which will allow her to work with the Smart Arctic cities and innovative solutions in order to shape the physical environment for future generations in the new attractive Barents.
Auli Suorsa – Senior Advisor in cultural development at Council of Oulu Region
Auli Suorsa has been involved in Barents cooperation within JWGC (Joint working group of culture) as a regional representative of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. She has diverse experience in regional planning and regional development issues. At the moment she works in a Council of Oulu Region as a Senior Advisor in the field of cultural development.