Laurent G. NICOLE
Executive Director - Chemical Engineer / Health and Safety Engineer
Laurent is one of the founders and executive director of CENN. His educational background covers chemical engineering and health and safety engineering from Swiss institutions. He has over 30 years of professional experience in the field of environment around the world, including Georgia. He first arrived in Georgia in 1993, accompanied the first steps of CENN back in 1998, and since then, he has been involved as an adviser on strategic organizational planning and management. Laurent’s career spans fields such as waste management, DRR, water safety and management, environmental impact assessments, environmental audit and nature resources management & biodiversity, and humanitarian engineering.
Nino Shavgulidze
Deputy Director - Economy & Green Growth
Nino Shavgulidze is a deputy director of CENN leading the Economy & Green Growth direction. She is a professional environmental expert and experienced chemist (Ph.D. in Chemistry) with over 15 years of experience in the fields of environmental protection, sustainable development, and green economic growth. Since 2007, Ms. Shavgulidze has led more than 10 national and regional development programs targeted at assisting governments, local authorities, communities, and the private sector in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. She has strong leadership and negotiation skills, and substantial experience in program management, administration, and financial oversight in long-term assignments funded by international donor agencies and financial institutions. For five years she acted as the Chief of Party for the large-scale USAID-funded project, Waste Management Technologies in Regions. Ms. Shavgulidze has extensive technical knowledge and expertise in conducting research and analysis, developing studies and technical reports in the fields of air quality protection, waste management, and circular economy, as well as applying the requirements of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in national legislation, including the development of road maps and action plans, and conducting various capacity-building activities. Over the years, she has established successful relationships with donor agencies, governmental representatives, the business sector, NGOs, and community members to foster sustainable and inclusive development in the region. From 2002-2017, Ms. Shavgulidze lectured in chemistry and conducted scientific research within the Department of Biochemistry at Tbilisi State Medical University. She has published 23 scientific papers, contributed to 3 methodological issues in inorganic, organic, and analytical chemistry, and has developed and holds two original patents.
Nino Tevzadze
Deputy Director - Climate Change
Nino has 15 years of experience in environmental project management. She holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Tbilisi State University. Her first projects were studies in the areas of sociology and environmental impact assessment. Later, she worked in resources management, particularly on forest, land, waste, and water resources management. She works on a wide variety of topics at CENN, including environmental impact assessment, participatory planning, development of policy and strategy documents, public environmental education, raising public awareness, community outreach, stakeholder analysis, and communications. She is presently working for the EU-supported Georgia Climate Action Program (GEO-CAP). In her leisure time, Nino is seeking for distance learning opportunities.
Rezo Getiashvili
Deputy Director- Environment, Natural Resources, Energy
Rezo is a journalist, and prior to joining CENN in 2005, he worked as an investigative journalist focusing on environmental issues and human rights. He was also involved in creating several networking groups, and in community mobilization, public outreach and communications, and policy dialogue issues. Rezo’s work is now connected to forestry policy. After a number of years in the field, he is widely regarded as a forestry expert. Since 2012 he has lead CENN’s ADC supported Sustainable Forest Governance in Georgia program. In 2014, under Rezo’s leadership and initiative, CENN launched the youth competition the Niko Ketskoveli School Awards, which Rezo considers to be the most interesting accomplishment of the team in the field of education. During his free time, Rezo enjoys making wine and even produces his own lines of bio-wine — "Ganskhvavebuli" and "Sheniani".
Nino Gaprindashvili
Deputy Director - Operations
Nino received a BSC in Arts in Humanities followed by an MSc in Oriental Studies from the Department of Humanities at Tbilisi State University. Nino is a professional Orientalist with 10 years of experience in Orientals, human resource management, and environmental education. She has both scientific and practical knowledge and experience in natural resources management, public environmental education, public relations, community mobilization, human resource management, and communications. She has extensive experience managing projects funded by major multilateral funding agencies and a number of bilateral donors in the fields of natural resources management. Nino enjoys playing the piano and listening classical music, and she also loves travelling.
Mariam Vekua
Deputy Director - Finance, Personnel & Administration
Mariam is a professional in finance. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tbilisi State University. She has more than 15 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors; she has worked at the National Environmental Agency and several private companies. She is now the Financial Manager at CENN. Maka devotes her free time to her main hobby — cooking — and often conducts culinary experiments. She also enjoys spending time with family and organizing outdoor picnics.
Melano Tkabladze
Project Manager - Rural Development
Melano Tkabladze holds a master’s degree in economics from the Business Administration and Economics faculty at Tbilisi State University. Her professional experience covers both the state and private sectors. She is currently working at CENN as a Project Manager in several environmental directions; many projects have been successfully implemented by Melano. Melano also supports local enterprises and activities towards economic growth in Georgia. She always tries to promote and support businesses which have socially responsible and green policies. Melano tries to spend as much of her free time as possible with her children. She especially loves playing tennis and doing a math with her son.
Jimsher Koshadze
Project Manager - Rural Development, Agriculture, and Food Security
Jimsher is an agricultural economist with more than 15 years of experience in the fields of agricultural project management, sustainable development and capacity building. He obtained his BA in Agribusiness Management at Georgian State Agrarian University. Later, he studied in Germany at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences and obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Agriculture. He has knowledge in agricultural economics, agricultural project management, as well as experience working with the public, civil and private sectors. Jimsher is currently working at CENN as a project manager in several agricultural directions. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, listening to music and going to the gym.
Megi Gamtkitsulashvili
Project Manager - Climate Change
Megi’s environmental activities started while she was at school — she was an active member of the school eco club. Later, she participated in an eco-camp at Bulachauri Green Center as part of one of CENN’s project; this was the beginning of the partnership between Megi and our organization. She soon turned her hobby into a career, studying ecology at Ilia State University. After her first academic year she successfully participated in a competition announced by CENN, becoming a volunteer in the Bread for the World’s south-north exchange program. Within the program, she worked with refugee children and youth in Germany. She was also an Erasmus+ exchange student and studied forest management for a semester at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). She also holds a Master of Science degree from Ilia State University. Within the master's program, she studied environmental management at the University of Aveiro (Portugal) for a semester. In addition, Megi is USFS Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Alumna (2018). Working more than 7 years on various projects at CENN, she has both scientific and practical knowledge and experience in project management and environmental activities. Currently, Megi is leading the EU-funded "Georgia Climate Action Project (GEO-CAP)" which aims to promote civil society engagement in climate change policy design and implementation.
Nino Bregadze
Project Manager – Forestry, Ecosystem Management and Women Empowerment
Nino Bregadze holds an MSc in Nature Protection and is currently pursuing her second MSc in Sociology. With over 8 years of experience in the international sustainable development sector, she has dedicated more than five years to managing diverse range of projects. These initiatives focus on advancing climate-resilient rural development, sustainable forest management, green growth, and the empowerment of women and youth. Nino has a proven track record of successfully leading teams, building networks, and creating partnerships that promote real change in society. A notable accomplishment in Nino's career is her leadership in the Niko Ketskhoveli School Awards initiative, which has successfully mobilized over 1,000 school-based eco clubs across the country. These clubs actively work towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocating for daily climate protection. Furthermore, Nino has supported the establishment of more than 10 rural women's councils in Georgia. These councils empower women to make informed decisions regarding environmental matters and diversify their income streams through the sustainable utilization of forest resources. Nino is also an alumna of the USFS in Forest Landscape Restoration (2018) and Partnerships and Workforce Development (2022)
Vakhtang Kochoradze
Component Leader - Green Economy and Sustainable Energy
Institutions, the environment, ecosystem services, and the economy are all among Vakho’s areas of interest. Vakho has obtained a Master's Degree in Ecological Economy at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and an MA in European Studies at the International Graduate Center of the Hochschule Bremenand. Vakho has worked on a number of projects and has facilitated CENN’s international and regional work since 2015. Outside of the office, Vakho leads a very active sports life, loves board games, and volunteers at a dog shelter.
Tamar Iakobidze
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant / SDG Focal Point
Tamar holds MSc in Policy Studies from the University of Edinburgh, UK and BA in Political Science from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia. Currently she is pursuing MSc in International Development and Management at Lund University, Sweden. Tamar joined CENN in February 2019 as Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and her duties include developing M&E plan; identifying, collecting and analyzing relevant data; identifying progress and delays; contributing to the planning of new activities that support the desired results and overall leading the process of internal evaluation in order to assess relevance, performance, efficiency, and impacts in relation to the stated objectives and intended results. She also acts as SDG Focal Point and promotes mainstreaming of SDGs in CENN activities and reporting. Prior to joining CENN Tamar has spent over 7 years at a Georgian NGO Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) on various analytical/project management positions up until becoming Public Policy and Participation Direction Lead since 2015. Furthermore, Tamar has completed one-year long Training of Facilitators program and became a certified facilitator within the frames of Theodor Heuss Kolleg, an Active Citizenship Education program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the MitOst Association. In 2014-2018 Tamar worked as an invited lecturer at International Black Sea University (IBSU) where she taught Introduction to Public Policy and Introduction to Political Ideologies.
Ana Petriashvili
Head of Communications
Ana has many years of experience in environmental communication and outreach. She obtained a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and Policy from the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) and holds a professional certificate in Strategic Communication and Events Management. Her expertise includes the development and implementation of communication and outreach strategies, including awareness-raising and behaviour-centered campaigns, training courses as well as different knowledge materials. Apart from her profession, Ana has a keen interest in the arts and museology. When she lived in Germany, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in the History of European Arts and Culture and worked in private galleries as well as state museums in both Munich and Augsburg. Ana loves doing yoga and engaging in different art therapies.
Nana Takvarelia
Project Manager - Food Waste Focal Point
Nana obtained her bachelor’s degree in Law and Languages at Cardiff University, UK. She went on to work in International Development, with a focus on food security policy and campaigns in Kenya, Indonesia, Georgia and Armenia. She is now the communications and outreach team leader within CENN’s Waste Management programme funded by USAID. Her interests lie with environmental protection, waste management, food waste and circular economy. Her role at CENN involves working with youth to raise awareness, rolling out public campaigns, and strategizing communications with various target groups for positive influence. In her spare time she writes for various media outlets about food and environment and in 2018 became the winner of the EU Prize for Journalism for best opinion piece. She also writes and performs music and runs various cultural and music projects.
Mariam Ghlonti
Communications and Outreach Specialist - Digital Media
Mariam is a communications specialist with 7 years of experience in the field of waste management. She holds a BA in Mass Communication, a VD in TV Journalism, and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Relations at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). Her 13 years of work experience includes writing articles for newspapers and creating TV stories on social topics for several TV channels. Currently, Mariam serves as a communications officer at CENN and holds the position of communications and outreach lead within CENN's GREEN Guria project, funded by the European Union. Mariam is happiest while skiing, loves mountains, literature, traveling, and spending time with friends.
Vakho Chitishvili
DRR, Watershed Management and GIS
Vakho holds a Bachelor's Degree in Ecology from Ilia State University. Since 2017 he continues studies at the MSc Program in Ecology at the same university. After volunteering at the NACRES, he joined CENN team first as a trainee and then started working as a GIS specialist. Vakho enjoys creating maps both for work and as his hobby. In his spare time, he likes skiing and hiking
Giorgi Mamporia
Administration and Office Manager
After finishing Tbilisi’s Third Gymnasium in 2006, Giorgi continued his studies at Tbilisi State University, gaining a bachelor’s degree in Finance. At the same time, he was successfully engaged in several start-ups with his friends. He has always had an interest in Geography, and gained a master’s degree from Tbilisi State University in 2012. Giorgi now works at CENN providing technical support in every project.
George Datadze
Driver / Logistician
Giorgi has been CENN’s driver and logistician since 2019. He holds a BA in International Economics from Tbilisi Secular University “Gaenati” and worked in logistics for GDS TV from 2012-2017. In his free time, Giorgi enjoys water skiing and wakeboarding.
Maka Koiava
Financial Specialist
Maka is an accountant with more than 11 years’ experience. She worked for KfW/BMZ funded projects implemented by WWF and GFA. She has completed number of trainings in accounting and tax legislation. Maka is a member of CENN staff as Financial Specialist. In her free time she loves spending time with her family and friends, travelling to the high mountain regions, cooking and driving.
Ketevan Esvanjia
Project Finance and Administration Manager
Ketevan graduated from the faculty of Power Engineering and Telecommunications at the Technical University of Georgia. She has gained 9 years of experience working in both the private and NGO sectors since 2011 and has worked with several donors, including EWMI/USAID, Tetra tech/USAID, UNDP, the EU, OSI and Vishegrad. From 2012-2017, she began working at PKF Georgia and UBC International as an accountant. From 2016-2019, Ketevan was the Finance and Administration Manager at the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI). She is currently the Finance and Administrative Officer for the USAID-supported Waste Management and Technology in Regions (WMTR II) Program at CENN. Ketevan enjoys listening to music and drawing, as well as spending time with family and friends.
Ekaterine Kandelaki
Accounting Manager
Ekaterine is an international economics relations specialist. She has over 20 years of work experience both in the public and private sectors, and has received numerous national certificates in her field. Ekaterine is a Chief Accountant at CENN, successfully leading organizational accounting activities both inside CENN and with governmental institutions. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and loves treating family and friends with surprise presents.
Ketevan Terdzishvili
Grants Manager
Keti graduated from the Faculty of Western European Languages and Literature at Tbilisi State University, and later gained knowledge in accounting at GFPAA. With 15 years of work at international organizations, she gained valuable experience in procurement and financial procedures, as well as administrative skills, including office management and support for project implementation. In her free time, Keti enjoys travelling and reading books.
Shorena Ebanoidze
Project Finance and Administration Manager
Shorena is educated as both an engineer and ecologist, graduating from the Faculty of Ecology and Natural Resource Protection at the GTU. She has a number of years of work experience at national and international private companies and on international projects, including programs supported by donors like — USAID, UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, EU, and ADC. Currently, at CENN, Shorena works as a project finance and administration manager. She has various creative interests to which she devotes most of her free time, including cooking, sculpting, drawing, gardening, and, most importantly — reusing old objects and giving them a new life, which is thematically connected to her work at CENN.
Giorgi Tsotskolauri
Graphic Designer
Giorgi is a graphic designer and an art director with over 15 years of work experience. He has a Bachelor's degree in Multimedia Design from Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. He has worked for various advertising companies and publishing houses, and his professional experience covers multimedia, digital, and print design. He is also interested in artificial intelligence and its applications in design. He enjoys experimenting with 3D environment design, game design, and AI-generated art.
Levan Natsvlishvili
IT Manager
Levan holds a Master’s degree in physics from Tbilisi State University, Georgia. He completed an individual study programme in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation at the University of Twente (ITC, Netherlands). In 2010–2013 he was involved in MATRA (the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs) project — Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). He is a PhD student at the School of Natural Sciences and Engineering at Ilia State University. Besides his interests in computer technology, programming, and Geo-Information Systems (GIS), in his spare time, Levan enjoys agriculture, reading, and travelling.
Levan Gagoshvili
Environmental Project Officer - WASH, Rural Development and Forestry
Levan Gagoshvili is a graduate ecologist. He has worked as an entry point information manager in Tusheti, Georgia, which lead to being involved in WASH Assessment trainings, carrying out WASH Assessments in more than 300 public schools in Georgia. In addition to highly specialized skills, Levan works as an assistant in WASH projects at CENN, where he is also in charge of a number of project components and graphic design. Besides English he speaks Ukrainian, Russian and Armenian languages. Levan likes exploring by walking, observing architecture of the old buildings and imagining the history kept within it. He Interested in music, inspired by Ólafur Arnalds and Sigur Rós. As for leisure activities, he is fond of climbing and hiking.
Sopiko Babalashvili
Project Officer - Rural Development
Sopiko holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the Social and Political Sciences Faculty at Tbilisi State University. Her professional experience covers the non-governmental sector in terms of project cycle management in the fields of agriculture, rural development, youth empowerment, community work, and civil activism. Over a 3-year period of working with local NGOs, Sopiko had the opportunity to partner with international donor organizations such as USAID, HEKS-EPER, UNDP, and FFO, as well as strengthen her knowledge and skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, PR and communications, monitoring and evaluation, and proposal writing. Her areas of interest include sustainable agriculture and rural development, resilient agri-food systems, agricultural VET and extension systems in the context of policy making. During her free time, Sopiko enjoys hiking, visiting galleries and agricultural farms (flowering orchards in particular), listening to music, and helping her grandfather maintain the vineyard.
Magda Tsertsvadze
Communications Specialist
Magda Tsertsvadze is a young professional in communication with a background in broadcast journalism. She has a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication at Tbilisi State University. During her studies, she was selected for an international exchange program and studied for one semester in Prague, at Charles University. She has 3 years of professional experience in mainstream media outlets in Georgia covering social, economic, and environmental topics. Apart from that, her expertise includes strategic communication, project management, mentoring, and facilitation. Currently, Magda Tsertsvadze serves as a communications specialist at CENN working on several projects covering civil society, governance, energy, and environment.
Sandro Gujabidze
Project Officer - Agriculture and Food Security
Sandro is an agronomist and Agriculture Development Officer at CENN. With a BSc in Agronomy, an MSc in Natural Resource Management, and international experience from an Italian exchange program, Sandro is passionate about advancing sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, and global food security. Before joining CENN, Sandro served as a research assistant and gained experience in large-scale agricultural production. Alongside his agronomic and environmental pursuits, he's deeply interested in modern digital education, recognizing that effective communication is crucial for inspiring positive change. Sandro is committed to finding innovative ways to achieve this goal.
Natalie Anne Taylor
Editor and Project Assistant
Natalie is an expat from the U.S. and has lived in Georgia for five years and counting. She first came to Georgia in 2014 for an internship at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation), where she researched energy security in the South Caucasus. Afterwards, she was an English teacher within the Teach and Learn with Georgia (TLG) program in a small village of Georgia before starting her job at CENN in 2018. Natalie holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Franklin University Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland. Her duties as an editor and project assistant at CENN include editing, conducting trainings, developing project ideas and proposals, and assisting with various projects. Natalie enjoys taking long walks with her two rambunctious dogs, practicing yoga, cooking, crafting and struggling to learn Georgian and Russian.
Vano Gioshvili
Project Assistant - Forestry
Vano obtained bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Tourism at Ilia State University. He has a valuable volunteering experience in different programs. Currently he works as a project assistant at CENN. During his free time he enjoys reading literature and playing football.
Levan Sebiskveradze
Environmental Awareness and Communications Officer
Levan is a historian and a journalist. Prior to joining CENN, he was involved in journalism and writing and has published over 1000 publications, articles, interviews and blogs on ecology, healthcare, social issues, sports and winemaking. Up to 20 of his short stories have been published in Georgian literary publications. In 2011, he won first place in the "One Story Competition" established by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection with his story, “They are coming.” In 2020, Levan won second place in the “Pen Marathon.” He is also engaged in natural (bio) winemaking, a member of the "Natural Wine" Association and one of the founders of the “Georgian Wine Club.” Levan has been a member of the CENN team since 2017. At CENN, his main duties include raising environmental awareness, as well as moderating and administering the Niko Ketskhoveli Youth School Competition. He believes that, in raising two children, this competition is the best, proudest and most important accomplishment of his life to date.
Lamara Malkhasyan
Project Administrator
Lamara joined CENN in 2020 as a project administrator within the EU-funded “EU4Youth: Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED) Program for Green Growth in Borderline Communities” project. She assists the project manager in implementing and coordinating the project in Armenia. Lamara has two years of experience working on ecotourism projects within the Georgian Ecotourism Association. She also has work experience translating Armenian to Georgian and vice versa. Lamara holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration-Tourism from Ilia State University and since 2021, she's been studying for her Master’s in Nature Protection and Sustainable Development at Ilia State University.
Giorgi Kavteladze
Intern - Forestry
Giorgi is a first-year student at Ilia State University studying ecology. He has been involved in environmental activities locally and internationally for the past four years, and has actively participated in youth conferences and summits. In recent years, he has led various programs of initiative teams and youth environmental organizations and was an active participant in the Niko Ketskhoveli School Award competition. In his work, Giorgi aims to increase the involvement of young people as well as the general public in eco-activism.
Tea Panchulidze
Housekeeper
Tea obtained a degree in philology at the Pedagogical Institute. She has worked as a Georgian language teacher for 17 years. She works at CENN since 2019 as a housekeeper. During her free time she enjoys listening music.
Kakha Sukhitashvili
Local Coordinator - Kakheti Region
Kakha has been actively involved in environmental field for more than 20 years. After graduation from Telavi I. Gogebashvili State University majoring in Geography and Biology he volunteered in a local environmental organization. In 2007-2009 Kakha worked as a volunteer in CENN and since 2009 he has been its local coordinator in Kakheti Region. Kakha has passed various training courses in US, Germany and Austria in different years. Kakha has worked as a natural resources specialist in the administration of Batsara-Babanauri Protected Areas for years. His professional interests include both academic and scientific areas like plant diversity, plant ecology, aspects of plant endemism as well as problematic areas of environment such as sustainable forest governance, waste management and re-use of waste as an important resource. Kakha actively works on the development of sustainable and ecotourism in the Kakheti Region.
Maia Kodua
Local Coordinator - Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region
Maia has been working as a Regional Coordinator for CENN project, Sustainable Forest Governance in Georgia since 2012. Maia has graduated from Natural Sciences and Geography Department of Kutaisi Akaki Tsereteli State University majoring in Biology and Chemistry. She has passed a series of trainings in project management, basics of humanitarian practice and community development. She is a member of an editorial-and-consulting group of a book, Community Development Aspects. She participated in a sustainable forest governance study tour to Austria and many other trainings and seminars. She believes that raising awareness of schoolchildren in environmental field and ensuring their involvement in youth activities of the organizations has been the most successful part of her work.
Irakli Mikeladze
Local Coordinator - Adjara
Irakli has been CENN team member since 2013. He holds an academic degree of a Doctor of Biology in Plant Ecomorphology at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, is an author of numerous scientific articles and has more than 15 years’ experience in the field. His scope of activity includes biogeography, plant ecology, conservation, spread and invasion of uncommon plants. He has been working for 10 years at Tbilisi Botanical Garden and is currently a researcher at Batumi State University and is studying invading plants spread at the Black Sea Coast. Irakli is CENN Project Coordinator in Adjara Region and mainly works on the project related to sustainable forest governance. Besides, Irakli is actively involved and coordinates Niko Ketskhoveli school competition in the schools of Adjara and Guria regions and implements expert activities related to environment.
Mariko Tsikoridze
Local Coordinator - Kvemo and Shida Kartli Region
Mariko is CENN’s local coordinator for the Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli regions. She is a journalist, documentarian and founder of the Women's Community Radio WW in Bolnisi. Mariko's activities at CENN include regional media relations, capacity-building activities for journalists and youth, environmental awareness-raising campaigns, and working with local communities and stakeholders. She has worked in regional media for several years as a regional correspondent, head of the news department, as well as director of the Kvemo Kartli Media Group and founder of the Bolnisi Women's Community Radio WW. She has completed several certification courses with a focus on conflict areas in Nagorno-Karabakh and Kosovo. In her free time, Mariko and her daughter, Nita, enjoy learning about languages and the architecture of major cities online.
Giorgi Ioramashvili
Local Coordinator - Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region
Giorgi has been a member of CENN team for more than 10 years. He studied at the Faculty of International Law and International Relations of Tbilisi State University, majoring in International Relations. Presently he is studying at Kachreti Public College Aisi to master forestry. His scope of activity at CENN includes aspects of studying sustainable forest management, eco-migration and natural disasters on a regional level. He also has experience of work at Information Centre of Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Human Rights Centre. Giorgi is actively involved in summer activities of the organization where he helps youths in development of hiking skills.
Tamar Kapanadze
Local Coordinator - Samtskhe-Javakheti Region
Tamar has Master’s degree in English language. She teaches English at Samtskhe-Javakheti State University. She has 15-years’ experience of working at international and local non-governmental organizations. She has worked for educational, regional and agriculture development and environmental projects. She is a founder of a local NGO working on youth-related problems. She is also the Head of the Akhaltsikhe Adults’ Education Center.
Maia Kezevadze
Local Coordinator - Imereti Region
Maia has been CENN employee since 2011. She is a teacher by profession. She also holds a Master’s degree in Law and Social Sciences. She has passed training at Caucasus University in sociology and communication. She works both in the University and at school and conducts trainings in sociology. Maia’s area of interest is tourism. She is a founder of Agritourism Association “Korena and is involved in development of eco-tourism in Imereti Region. She also actively works with youth and provides mentorship to the in that regard.
Irma Kitriashvili
Local Coordinator - Shida Kartli Region
Irma Kitriashvili is an economist by profession. She has graduated from Tbilisi Scientific Institute of Labour and Manufacturing Process Management and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Manufacturing Process and Organization Management. She is a graduate of Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD). Irma has been working as a journalist for various media organizations since 2002 and presently is a correspondent of Shida Kartli Information Centre Qartli.Ge. Irma has authored a number of articles and footages on the environment. That’s how she started to cooperate with CENN. In 2015, she already became a part of CENN team. Her first project was about supporting environmental and social responsibility in the mining area. Irma is a delegate of 2011 of Open World, a program of American Councils for International Education. During her visit to the USA she learned about the principles of the introduction of proper waste management. Nowadays she works for Waste Management Technology in Regions (WMTR), an ongoing USAID-funded project implemented by CENN.
Nilufer Kurbanova
Farmers’ Mobilization and Capacity Development Coordinator in Marneuli Municipality
Nilufar is CENN’s project coordinator for Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli Region. She is a teacher and community leader and has extensive experience in the education field. She is a professional trainer from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia and Teacher House. She is also translator and translates from Georgian, Russian, English to Azerbaijani. Nilufar is quite familiar with the culture of different ethnic minorities living in Georgia. She is also a community leader with extensive experience working on projects and initiatives related to gender equality, ethnic minority issues, non-formal education, youth and civic engagement. She has completed several certification courses with a focus on agriculture issues and wants to become a professional farmer in the future. Nilufar loves travelling, meeting people from different countries, trying new foods, and reading books.
Marine Berianidze
Director of the Bulachauri Green Center
Marine has been an employee of CENN since its opening. Since 2002, she has served as the housekeeper for CENN. After 15 years, due to completing management courses and receiving training in this field, she was appointed as the executive director of the Bulachauri Green Center and has held the position as the center's main host for the past seven years. Marine is from the city of Gori and graduated from Gori Medical School with a major in nursing. In 1987, she worked as a nurse at the Zhvania clinic in Tbilisi, specifically in the neonatal pathology department. During her free time, she enjoys sewing and knitting.
Laurent G. NICOLE
Executive Director – Chemical Engineer / Health and Safety Engineer
Laurent is one of the founders and executive director of CENN. His educational b
Nino Shavgulidze
Deputy Director – Economy & Green Growth
Nino Shavgulidze is a deputy director of CENN leading the Economy & Green Gr
Nino Tevzadze
Deputy Director – Climate Change
Nino has 15 years of experience in environmental project management. She holds a
Rezo Getiashvili
Deputy Director- Environment, Natural Resources, Energy
Rezo is a journalist, and prior to joining CENN in 2005, he worked as an investi
Nino Gaprindashvili
Deputy Director – Operations
Nino received a BSC in Arts in Humanities followed by an MSc in Oriental Studies
Mariam Vekua
Deputy Director – Finance, Personnel & Administration
Mariam is a professional in finance. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics
Melano Tkabladze
Project Manager – Rural Development
Melano Tkabladze holds a master’s degree in economics from the Business Admini
Jimsher Koshadze
Project Manager – Rural Development, Agriculture, and Food Security
Jimsher is an agricultural economist with more than 15 years of experience in th
Megi Gamtkitsulashvili
Project Manager – Climate Change
Megi’s environmental activities started while she was at school — she wa
Nino Bregadze
Project Manager – Forestry, Ecosystem Management and Women Empowerment
Nino Bregadze holds an MSc in Nature Protection and is currently pursuing her se
Vakhtang Kochoradze
Component Leader – Green Economy and Sustainable Energy
Institutions, the environment, ecosystem services, and the economy are all among
Tamar Iakobidze
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant / SDG Focal Point
Tamar holds MSc in Policy Studies from the University of Edinburgh, UK and BA in
Ana Petriashvili
Head of Communications
Ana has many years of experience in environmental communication and outreach. Sh
Nana Takvarelia
Project Manager – Food Waste Focal Point
Nana obtained her bachelor’s degree in Law and Languages at Cardiff University
Mariam Ghlonti
Communications and Outreach Specialist – Digital Media
Mariam is a communications specialist with 7 years of experience in the field of
Vakho Chitishvili
DRR, Watershed Management and GIS
Vakho holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology from Ilia State University. Since 201
Giorgi Mamporia
Administration and Office Manager
After finishing Tbilisi’s Third Gymnasium in 2006, Giorgi continued his studie
George Datadze
Driver / Logistician
Giorgi has been CENN’s driver and logistician since 2019. He holds a BA in Int
Maka Koiava
Financial Specialist
Maka is an accountant with more than 11 years’ experience. She worked for KfW/
Ketevan Esvanjia
Project Finance and Administration Manager
Ketevan graduated from the faculty of Power Engineering and Telecommunications a
Ekaterine Kandelaki
Accounting Manager
Ekaterine is an international economics relations specialist. She has over 20 ye
Ketevan Terdzishvili
Grants Manager
Keti graduated from the Faculty of Western European Languages and Literature at
Shorena Ebanoidze
Project Finance and Administration Manager
Shorena is educated as both an engineer and ecologist, graduating from the Facul
Giorgi Tsotskolauri
Graphic Designer
Giorgi is a graphic designer and an art director with over 15 years of work expe
Levan Natsvlishvili
IT Manager
Levan holds a Master’s degree in physics from Tbilisi State University, Georgi
Levan Gagoshvili
Environmental Project Officer – WASH, Rural Development and Forestry
Levan Gagoshvili is a graduate ecologist. He has worked as an entry point inform
Sopiko Babalashvili
Project Officer – Rural Development
Sopiko holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the Social and Political Scie
Magda Tsertsvadze
Communications Specialist
Magda Tsertsvadze is a young professional in communication with a background in
Sandro Gujabidze
Project Officer – Agriculture and Food Security
Sandro is an agronomist and Agriculture Development Officer at CENN. With a BSc
Natalie Anne Taylor
Editor and Project Assistant
Natalie is an expat from the U.S. and has lived in Georgia for five years and co
Vano Gioshvili
Project Assistant – Forestry
Vano obtained bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Tourism at Ilia
Levan Sebiskveradze
Environmental Awareness and Communications Officer
Levan is a historian and a journalist. Prior to joining CENN, he was involved in
Lamara Malkhasyan
Project Administrator
Lamara joined CENN in 2020 as a project administrator within the EU-funded “EU
Giorgi Kavteladze
Intern – Forestry
Giorgi is a first-year student at Ilia State University studying ecology. He has
Tea Panchulidze
Housekeeper
Tea obtained a degree in philology at the Pedagogical Institute. She has worked
Kakha Sukhitashvili
Local Coordinator – Kakheti Region
Kakha has been actively involved in environmental field for more than 20 years.
Maia Kodua
Local Coordinator – Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region
Maia has been working as a Regional Coordinator for CENN project, Sustainable Fo
Irakli Mikeladze
Local Coordinator – Adjara
Irakli has been CENN team member since 2013. He holds an academic degree of a Do
Mariko Tsikoridze
Local Coordinator – Kvemo and Shida Kartli Region
Mariko is CENN’s local coordinator for the Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli regio
Giorgi Ioramashvili
Local Coordinator – Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region
Giorgi has been a member of CENN team for more than 10 years. He studied at the
Tamar Kapanadze
Local Coordinator – Samtskhe-Javakheti Region
Tamar has Master’s degree in English language. She teaches English at Samtskhe
Maia Kezevadze
Local Coordinator – Imereti Region
Maia has been CENN employee since 2011. She is a teacher by profession. She also
Irma Kitriashvili
Local Coordinator – Shida Kartli Region
Irma Kitriashvili is an economist by profession. She has graduated from Tbilisi
Nilufer Kurbanova
Farmers’ Mobilization and Capacity Development Coordinator in Marneuli Municipality
Nilufar is CENN’s project coordinator for Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli Region. She i
Marine Berianidze
Director of the Bulachauri Green Center
Marine has been an employee of CENN since its opening. Since 2002, she has serve