Our team

Meet our team:
We have a big ECO, and we have worked together for more than a decade to build a program to educate children and raise their environmental knowledge. We are lucky to count on an experienced crew of specialists in this important task. 

Efraín Riera
Toronto, Canada
Founder and Chairman of the Diproinduca Group 

Our beloved World Environment Day Drawing Contest is definitely an event I feel has helped generate more interest in environmental issues among the members of the Diproinduca family. Learn more about me

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Sonia Riera-Petricca 
Kitchener, ON Canada 
Founder of Diproinduca WED-Drawing Contest.
@sbriera 

I cannot think of a better investment than that placed in shaping the minds of our future leaders. I am honored to have the opportunity to influence a community that demonstrates the creativity to yield open-minded, beautiful solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges. Learn more about me

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Madeleine Asunción 
Program Director WED-Drawing Contest
Barbados 
@madeleineasuncion 

The drawing contest allows gathering a community of young future ambassadors for the planet. Through art, this educational program nurtures the habit of weighing the environment in every action and decision we take. Learn more about me

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Judges

Judging an artistic creation is a very difficult task. Especially when it comes from the endless creativity of a young artist. This is the reason why we want to count with a very specialized and diverse panel to accomplish such an important and exciting task. We are happy to introduce to you our distinguished judges.

Roderic Mast 
Washington DC, USA 
President/CEO of Oceanic Society 

Rod is an author, photographer, seasoned traveler, and marine turtle expert. He is the Co-Chair of the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, founder of the State of the World’s Sea Turtles (SWOT) program, CEO of Oceanic Society (OS), the oldest non-profit organization in the USA dedicated to ocean conservation (established 1969), and Chief Editor of SWOT Report. Learn more about me

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Lianna Nielsen 
New York City, USA 
Actress
@HealthyByLianna 

She was fortunate enough to grow up in a beautiful little town in the woods of Maine, which started an early love of nature and the environment. Lianna is passionate about visual art and is honored to be one of the judges in this competition. Learn more about me

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Alberto Rojas 
Santiago de Chile, Chile 
Chilean photographer
@chamorojas 

He has received prizes from Alliance Française, Centro Gumilla and Caracas Ciudad Positiva in Venezuela. Winner of the 9th annual journalism contest (The Commerce Chamber of Caracas). Learn more about me

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Stacy Altman 
Barbados 
Artist and teacher by profession
/stacy.altman.98 

She started painting with oils and acrylics some years ago but has been interested in art in varying forms throughout her life. Other art techniques that she has used include batik, tie-dye, screen printing, and block printing. Learn more about me

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Randy Hryhorczuk 
Vancouver, Canada 
Canadian contemporary visual artist 

He grew up in the wild, rural countryside of British Columbia’s lower mainland. This self-taught oil painter has been shown publicly at galleries and art fairs since 2000 in Canada, the United States, and Germany. In addition, his artwork can be found in private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, and Guatemala. Learn more about me

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Katherine Barbacci 
Alexandria, VA 
/katherine.barbacci 

Born in New York, she started drawing and painting with acrylic while living in Barbados, where natural beauty is abundant. She’s inspired by nature and often incorporates natural elements, such as sand and seashells, into her artwork. Her biggest supporters are her two young daughters, artists in their own right, who encourage her to express herself and creativity through art. Learn more about me

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