KEYNOTE-SPEAKERS

IRINA NOVAKOVA

Irina Novakova leads NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), which coordinates NATO’s civilian and military response to a wide range of emergencies, from natural disasters through terrorist attacks to complex civilian crises.

She has previously served as Head of Media Operations at the NATO press office, where she supported the Secretary General in his public engagements and played a leading role in the organization of high level events, including eight NATO Summits and more than 30 top leadership meetings. In this role, she managed NATO’s relationship with the global media and contributed to policy and political strategy.   

Prior to joining NATO in 2014, Ms. Novakova worked at the European Commission as communication advisor to two Commissioners for humanitarian aid and crisis response. Ms. Novakova started her career in journalism; she covered NATO and the European Union for several Bulgarian media as Brussels correspondent, and worked for a range of international publications, including The Economist.

ASSOC. PROF. PETYA TRIFONOVA

Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova graduated in geophysics at the University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski” in 1998. She has a PhD in "Earth Magnetism and Gravimetry" accomplished in the Geophysical Institute of BAS and over 15 years of professional experience, including as a student lecturer and supervisor of doctoral students. Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova is an expert in geophysical data processing, analysis and interpretation of gravity and geomagnetic anomalies.

 In cooperation with other departments, she participates in many different projects, including seismic hazard assessment, natural disaster and risk analysis for the region of Bulgaria and the Balkans. Currently, Assoc. Prof. Petya Trifonova is Deputy Director of the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is responsible for operational activities related to seismology, geophysics, geodesy and others.

STEVE RECCA

Steve Recca is the senior advisor for Global Operations with the Pacific Disaster Center. His primary role is to coordinate Center operations with the US Defense Department and partner nation civil-military security services as part of PDC’s portfolio with the geographic and functional combatant commands.

Steve’s previous positions include security policy assignments with the US State Department and Department of Defense, as well as in academia. From 1995-98, he served as Special Assistant and Speechwriter for the Secretary of the Navy, and then in the same role for the Director of Central Intelligence. Following assignment to the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Steve held the Inman Chair at Naval Postgraduate School, and returned to Europe in 2003 to serve as the Defense Department’s Liaison to the German National Security Council. 

From 2006 until April 2009, Steve directed the Center for Homeland Security at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS), where he managed graduate and undergraduate education programs, applied research, and an international civil security seminar program in partnership with the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. He serves as a trustee for Marian University; Editorial Review Board member of several peer-reviewed journals, including Homeland Security Affairs, Pracademic Affairs, and the Journal of Security, Intelligence, and Resilience Education; and continues as a frequent guest lecturer on civil security topics across the Americas, Europe and Africa.

LINDON PRONTO

Lindon Pronto holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Governance from the University of Freiburg, Germany. Lindon offers over 20 years of experience and expertise in wildfire management with employment, research, capacity building, training, and remote support to/in over 30 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Lindon has years of operational experience as a federal wildland firefighter in California.

In addition to working in many European projects, he has been commissioned by government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, and consulting firms, serves on national and international expert panels, and has provided thematic expertise to the European Commission, European Parliament, government agencies, and the private sector. As a subject matter expert with extensive communication experience, he has contributed to over 250 international print, radio and television publications and broadcasts and is an Associate Editor at Wildfire Magazine. Lindon has been a Senior Wildfire Management Expert at the European Forest Institute since 2020.