Caucasus Nature Fund Officially Welcomes New US-Born Director

TBILISI – German non-profit organization the Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF) on Wednesday officially welcomed its new regional executive director George Giacomini via a message posted on its official Web site.

A dual citizen of the United States and Italy, Giacomini - who goes by the name of Geof - previously worked as the country director for US NGO Save the Children in Azerbaijan and Egypt. According to the organization’s Web site, Giacomini is a Russian speaker who graduated from the University of Berkeley in California, one of the US’ top ranked centers for higher education.

“Geof is ideally suited to lead CNF’s next phase. An experienced director of programs and people, he spent much of the last 15 years directing regional and country programs for Save the Children in the Caucasus and, most recently, in Egypt… CNF is planning a strategic shift in its center of gravity which makes Geof’s experience in and commitment to the region crucial,” board member and outgoing director David Morrison said in his message on CNF’s Web site.

Morrison had served as the organization’s director since its inception in 2008. He officially stepped down in March, but intends to remain on CNF’s advisory board.

Though not officially announced until Wednesday, Giacomini was hired as Morrison’s replacement in 2015.

The CNF’s stated mission is to guarantee the conservation of the Caucasus’ unique flora, fauna and ecosystems by providing funding for operational costs and sustainable development in the region’s numerous protected areas.