SHIPOWNER Semiramis Paliou has been elected to a third consecutive term as chairperson of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association, or Helmepa.

The chief executive of New York Stock Exchange-listed bulk carrier owner Diana Shipping is on course to match the record eight years that founder George Livanos spent at the helm of the voluntary anti-pollution organisation.

Driven by Livanos, Helmepa was launched in 1982 by agreement between Greece’s shipowners and seafarers.

The articles of the organisation were updated in 2020 to amend a previous ceiling of two terms of office for the chair and to increase the board’s elected term from two years to three years.

In 2020, Paliou became the 10th person, and the first woman, to chair the association.

A new board was elected at the 47th general assembly and it included George Karageorgiou as first vice-president, Maria Hajioannou as second vice-president, John Xylas as general secretary, Kalli Livanou as treasurer, Harris Antoniou as deputy treasurer and Milena Pappas as special secretary.

“Every year, we break the previous year’s record with regards to participation, actions, reach and impact,” Paliou said.

“Tens of thousands of children, youth, professionals and citizens are informed, sensitised and take part in our initiatives, shaping a new relationship with the sea,” she added.

The assembly included a special tribute to the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation and member company Costamare.

The late Capt Constakopoulos was the founder of containership company Costamare and backed the creation of Helmepa Junior, the association’s schools wing, that has so far attracted the participation of 650,000 Greek children in over 65,000 sea-related environmental activities nationwide.

He chaired Helmepa from 1996 to 2000, and was elected to a third term in 2008.