The new Board of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation has begun its work
The new board of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation met for the first time on March 6, 2025. In the 2025–2028 term, Heidi Hänninen will continue as the Chair of the board and Veikko Feodoroff, the Skolt Saami Trustee, will continue as the Vice Chair.
The four-year term of office of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation’s Board of Directors ended on 31st of December 2024. According to Section 5 of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation’s statutes, the foundation’s affairs are managed and represented by a board of directors elected for four calendar years at a time, consisting of nine members. At least five members must be Finnish citizens of Sámi descent.
The members of the board are appointed by the Skolt Saami Siida Administration of the Näätämö area, the Skolt Saami Siida Administration of the Nellim-Keväjärvi area, the Sámi Parliament, the Sámi Museum – Sámi Museum Foundation, the Sámi Education Institute, the Municipality of Inari, the Orthodox Church and Metsähallitus, each one member. In addition, the Skolt Saami Trustee who is currently in office is invited to the board. If any party has not appointed a member by the given deadline, the board elects the missing member.
The board elects a chair and vice chair from among its members, with a Skolt Saami being elected as chair.
Representatives have been asked to nominate a representative to the board of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation by the end of September 2024. The following representatives have been nominated to the board for the period 2025–2028:
Hänninen Heidi, the Skolt Saami Siida Administration of the Njeäʹllem-Keväjäuʹrr area, Chair
Feodoroff Veikko, the Skolt Saami Trustee, Vice Chair
Semenoff Jasmin, the Skolt Saami Siida Administration of the Njauddâm area
Kiprianoff Maarit, the Sámi Parliament
Kiprianoff Pia, the Sámi Education Institute
Ojanlatva Eija, Sámi Museum – Sámi Museum Foundation
Lehtola Minna, the Municipality of Inari
Harvola Heikki, the Orthodox Church
Irene Fofonoff
Metsähallitus did not appoint a representative to the board of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation for the period 2025–2028. In accordance with Section 5 of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation’s regulations and Section 9, subsection 2 of the Foundations Act (487/2015), the board supplemented itself and elected the missing member. At the board meeting 7/2024, the board elected Irene Fofonoff to the board of the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation for the period 2025–2028.
The Board of Directors met for the first time on March 6, 2025. The meeting reviewed current issues, the financial statements and the annual report for 2024, and elected a Chairman and Vice Chairman for the current term. Heidi Hänninen will continue as Chair of the Board and Veikko Feodoroff as Vice Chair.