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Staff - Climate Change, Climate Variability and Sea Level Rise

Andrea VOLENTRAS [Coordinator]

Andrea Volentras, originally from Samoa, is the Programme's Coordinator. Andrea obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree in International Relations from Victoria University, New Zealand. He also obtained his Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB) and a Masters of International Law (MIL) Degree from the Australian National University.

His area of expertise includes advocacy, climate change policy analysis and advice, legal drafting, carrying out the Secretariat responsibilities, preparing ministerial briefs and official interventions at international meetings and mobilizing Pacific island representation at international negotiations. He has had extensive involvement in assisting Pacific Island Countries at both the climate change and biodiversity international negotiations process.

Mark MORRISSEY [PI - Global Climate Observing System Officer]

Mark Morrissey is in charge of PI-GCOS. Originally from Oklahoma, United States of America Mark specializes in ‘meteorology’. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Penn State University, a Master of Science Degree from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from the University of Hawaii.

Mark has had extensive experience in the field of meteorology where he was involved mostly in research and teaching as: Researcher on “El-Nino” related events; Post-doctoral fellow with the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research; Research faculty member with the Meteorology Department and the Planetary Geosciences Division both of the University of Hawaii; Assistant/Associate State Climatologist for Research in the Oklahoma Climatological Survey; Assistant/Associate Professor of Geography; Associate Professor of Geosciences; Guest Editor of the Pacific ENSO Applications Newsletter (PEAC); and Associate Professor in the School of Meteorology.

Taito NAKALEVU [Climate Change Adaptation Officer]

Taito Nakalevu is the Climate Change and Adaptation Officer. Originally from Fiji, he obtained his Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji. Taito started his career as a high school teacher in Fiji and moved on to a European Union funded Programme  called the 'Pacific Regional Agriculture Programme' (PRAP) as a Graduate Research Assistant, a project that was executed by the University of the South Pacific and later, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). In this position, he worked very closely with the Fiji-German Forestry and Agroforestry Project carrying out agroforestry research in the hinterlands of Fiji. In 1999, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Resource Planning and ALTA as Senior Research Officer, Land Use Planning, for the Central/Eastern Division.

Solomone FIFITA [Chief Technical Adviser – Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Project]

Solomone is originally from Tonga. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji and a Master of Science Degree from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. Solomone began his career in the Energy sector in Tonga where he was Head of the Tonga Energy Office. Afterwards, he moved on to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Fiji to become the Renewable Energy Adviser. Following the relocation of the Energy Unit from PIFS to SOPAC (South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission), Solomone served as Energy Adviser at SOPAC and later on as Programme Manager for the 'Pacific Rural Renewable Energy France-Australia Common Endeavour' (PREFACE) at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in New Caledonia.

Emma SALE-MARIO [Pacific Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Officer]

Emma is responsible for the Pacific Ozone Depleting Substances Project. She is originally from Fiji where she obtained both degrees specialising in Chemistry (Bachelor of Science and Master of Science) at the University of the South Pacific. Emma started her career as a science teacher in one of Fiji's secondary schools. She worked as a 'Laboratory Demonstrator' at the Department of Chemistry, University of the South Pacific in Fiji while undertaking post-graduate studies. Emma also worked as an 'Intern' at the Water and Energy Research Institute (WERI), University of Guam. Before joining SPREP, she worked at SOPAC as Researcher for the 'Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) Project' .                                                                                                          

Fitilagi IOANE-SU’A [Programme Assistant]

Fitilagi is the Programme Assistant for the Climate Change Programme. Originally from Samoa, Fitilagi obtained her Diploma in Tourism and Travel Business from Sir George Seymour National Tourism & Travel College in Auckland, New Zealand. Fitilagi worked in New Zealand's travel industry before she moved back to Samoa to work as student administrator at the National University of Samoa.