Tad Kirakowski has been appointed by the Board of VOICE to the position of CEO. Tad replaces Mindy O’Brien who retired from the role after 18 years at the helm.
I am thrilled to take on this role. We’ve always described our work here as bottom up and top-down; we drive change from the grassroots level but also support the implementation of ambitious policies through engagement with communities. I think that mix is the real crux of VOICE's success and it’s why I love working with VOICE.
VOICE has been in Ireland for over 25 years and currently has a team of 8 people, that cover policy, research, community engagement, and advocacy projects. VOICE has grown a lot over the last 5 years particularly. What has driven that has been a fantastic team of passionate people, I look forward to supporting them to deliver VOICEs mission.
We are at a crucial time with the next few years offering us the opportunity to move towards a more circular economy and away from the take-make-waste approach, but also to ensure that we do so while achieving our aims under the Sustainable Development Goals. We need strong voices, to ensure that we can achieve these goals..
As Communications Director I develop comms strategies and campaigns and help to support the VOICE team in communicating their efforts and wins.
I also lead on the development of two campaigns here at VOICE focused on consumption and production. As coordinator, I build bridges between businesses, individuals, academics, communities, and policymakers in a bid to justly transition to a real and robust circular economy.
Fun Fact: I'm fixing up a 1950s house using secondhand materials and DIY skills as much as possible.
I manage the No Plastic Period Campaign, the Sustainable Communities Training Programme, the Zero Waste Communities Programme and the Ditch the Disposables workshops.
Through these programmes I work on sustainability issues with both communities and school groups. It’s amazing to get to work on issues that really matter to me and take action towards a better future!
Fun fact: In my spare time I work on LGBTQI+ advocacy for the West Cork based group, BROD.
I am the programme manager of Picker Pals, our primary school campaign bringing litter-picking tools to every school in the country hopefully!
I love interacting with the kids from classrooms all around the country and have recently developed a new skill of TV presenter – for our Picker Pals TV Show. There is never a dull day in Pickerupolis and seeing pictures of kids out on litter-picking adventures, changing the mindset in their family and community is such a great reward.
Biggest Achievement: My biggest achievement to date was having the courage to walk away from my career of over 20 years to start all over again working on issues I really care about. It makes getting out of bed so much easier in the morning!
I joined VOICE at the tail end of 2019 and am very happy to be part of this wonderful organisation.
I have spent much of the last 20 years working for various NGO’s in Ireland and have always endeavored to foster the understanding that we are a part of nature, not apart from it. Working with VOICE provides the platform to promote this philosophy on the ground, as the concrete actions we engage in affords people the opportunity to link their actions as individuals to outcomes in their community and indeed to the planet as a whole.
Biggest Achievement: When the 2018 World Cup rolled around, I managed to get some crowd to pay me to write about and watch every single game of the tournament. Getting paid to watch football – for a sports fan, it doesn’t get much better than that.
I am delighted to join Mindy & the Voice team and am enjoying supporting the team in the delivery of their key projects. I look forward to enhancing my environmental knowledge in the new role.
After a Finance & Business career in Ireland across the Financial Services & Payments sectors. I spent the last 8 years working internationally in the Middle East and Asia.
Fun fact – Music, History, and Sport are my key interests, with Hurling being my sporting passion.
I love working with VOICE because it gives me the opportunity to focus on my passion, which is environmental education for young people. My mission is to help create lots of little environmental activists!!
Fun Fact: In the early days of my former career as a primary school teacher, I undertook a series of lessons with my class on the life cycle of woodlice. An inspector was present for two of them and in his report, he noted the lovely resources, the children's high levels of engagement & understanding of the concepts being taught.....but cautioned against me getting "so excited that I forgot the rest of the curriculum".....noting that "Caring about woodlice is great, but the children still need to learn how to read!". I curbed my enthusiasm appropriately afterward!
I wanted to join the VOICE team in order to learn about and contribute to sustainable development projects in Ireland. I am delighted with the opportunity to be part of a passionate team who aims to make Ireland a more sustainable country and economy for all.
Fun Fact: In my spare time, I will either be found training Brazilian Jiu – Jitsu or sailing on a Howth-17, one of the oldest racing boats in the world.
My name is Solene, and I am thrilled to be part of the VOICE Ireland team as project assistant. Coming from France, it is wonderful to work in an organization that is at the forefront of environmental action and being able to witness the impact we make on both national and local levels.
Working alongside a team of dedicated and passionate individuals is an incredible learning experience. Their enthusiasm has encouraged me to explore my own interests while simultaneously supporting the existing projects.
Fun fact: I flew here with both of my cats Halloween and Citrouille (=Pumkin) and have the apparently horrifying default of not liking vinegar on my chips.
Why I joined Voice was to make a difference in local communities here in Kerry, highlight the importance of change in communities, and help the environment. Being part of this can bring me great motivation and job satisfaction of a kind you'll rarely find in the business world.
Fun Fact: A fun fact about me is that I have a black belt in taekwondo.
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VOICE is a member-based environmental Charity established in 1997. We currently focus our attention on waste and water issues. VOICE membership represents people from across Ireland and reflects the growing concern that Irish people have for the quality of their environment.
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