Mirei Endara de Heras

Mirei Endara de Heras is president and board chair of Marea Verde Panama, a nonprofit addressing global plastic pollution through local action. Previously, she was Panama environment minister from 2014 to 2017 and established and directed the Nature Conservancy’s Panama program from 2000 to 2003. Prior to this, Endara de Heras was a 2005 fellow of the Central America Leadership Initiative, part of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network. Earlier in her career, she was the Panama Environmental Authority administrator from 1994 to 1999. Endara de Heras is board chair of Fundación Smithsonian, a nonprofit supporting Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s work in Panama. Her recognition includes a 2023 McNulty Prize.