Freeland is a frontline counter-trafficking organization staffed by law enforcement, development and communications specialists in Asia, Africa and the Americas who build capacity, raise awareness, and promote good governance to protect vulnerable people, wildlife, and ecosystems from crime, corruption, and neglect.
Freeland International Board and
Management Committee
KRAISAK CHOONHAVAN
Chairman Freeland - Thailand R.I.P Kraisak ChoonhavanKraisak Choonhavan has been working actively to protect the environment and natural resources of Thailand for many years. He has been a committee member and advisor for the Government and NGOs in this field. Recent appointments include: 2000-2006: Advisor of the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, 2004: Chairman of the Advisory Board for the CITES 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP13) by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. 1996: Advisory Board Committee of Bangkok Metropolitan Governor, Dr. Bhichit Rattakul, on Environment, Art and Culture. Chairman Kraisak is often invited by institutions and organizations to give lectures on human rights and environmental management. |
STEVE GALSTER
Chair, International Management Committee Steve has helped develop five organizations, including Global Survival Network (USA), Phoenix (Russia), WildAid, ASEAN-WEN, and Freeland. Steve has served as a Chief of several USAID-sponsored programs between 2005-2012 and now works closely with the ASEAN Secretariat, NGOs, Police, Customs, and environmental agencies of 14 Asian countries to develop multi-agency task forces and public awareness initiatives that address transnational organized crime. His background covers investigative research, media campaigning, and program development relating to counter-human and wildlife trafficking programs in the former Soviet Union, USA, China, Afghanistan, Africa and Southeast Asia. |
KASIT PIROMYA
Board of Directors, Freeland - Thailand Educated in Europe and Washington, DC, Kasit Pirom boasts a long and distinguished career in Thailand’s diplomatic corps, serving as the Thai ambassador to the United States, Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union. Between 2008 and 2011, he was the Foreign Minister of Thailand. Keenly interested in the issues of wildlife and human trafficking, Kasit brings these decades of experience on the world stage to his role as Freeland’s Honorary Advisor and Member of the Board of Directors. |
POL. MAJ. GEN. PETCHARAT SANGCHAI
Chief Executive Officer, Freeland - Thailand Petcharat has 38 years of experience in the Royal Thai Police ( 1978-2016 ) working nationally and internationally as a Metropolitan police investigator, Narcotics officer, chief of police station in provincial police regional 7 , and most recently Deputy commissioner of narcotics suppression bureau. He decided to choose to join forces with Freeland as his final step, bringing his decades of experience to his new role as a Chief Executive Officer of Freeland, Thailand. In his new role as the CEO he looks at the overall performance and direction of both the team members working in Thailand and the Freeland team board. He also preserves the organizational structure to comply with the policies and goals of Freeland, in cooperation with The Royal Thai Police, The Department of National Parks, the Customs Department , and other related NGOs and organizations. |
JULIANA FERREIRA
Executive Director, Freeland - Brazil Dr. Juliana Machado Ferreira founded and serves as Executive Director of Freeland Brasil, whose mission is to conserve biodiversity by ending wildlife trafficking. She designs and implements projects with three major focuses: reducing demand for wild pets and wildlife parts and products through educational efforts and awareness actions; supporting law enforcement against wildlife trafficking, international articulation and facilitation for the development of a regional wildlife enforcement network; and developing scientific research to produce tools for law enforcement use. Ferreira is a TED Senior Fellow and received her Ph.D. in Conservation Genetics from Sao Paulo University. |
ONKURI MAJUMDAR
Managing Director Freeland - India Onkuri is the Deputy Director of Programs at Freeland and has worked on wildlife law enforcement support for over a decade in India and southeast Asia, training hundreds of police, Customs and forest officers on covert investigation techniques. She has also provided analytic support in successful police operations against wildlife and human traffickers. In recognition of her work on wildlife conservation, Onkuri was selected as an Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader in 2013, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2015. She has also done a TEDx talk in Cyprus on the illegal wildlife trade. Her work has been featured in the National Geographic series “Crimes Against Nature”. |