Kari Kinnunen, D.Agr. & For., has been director of the Lapland Regional Environment Center and its predecessor, the Lapland Water and Environment District, since 1989.

He has also taken part in developmental cooperation as a member of the secretariat of the Mekong River Commission and in Nepal. He considers winter to be an essential element in the cycle of seasons in Lapland and one of the province’s richest resources.