Dr. Alcindo Salgado Maciel Barbosa
A medical doctor graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Porto in 1975, he completed postgraduate studies in Public Health and Epidemiology at the National School of Public Health and obtained certification in Health Services Management from the Portuguese Medical Association. A specialist in Public Health, he has held the position of Head of Department since 1992 and has carried out leadership and coordination roles in several institutions, notably as Director of the Ponte de Lima Health Centre, Coordinator of the Viana do Castelo Health Sub-Region, Head of Primary Health Care in Macau, and President of the Board of Administration of the Northern Regional Health Administration (ARS Norte).
He participated in various working groups of the Ministry of Health, contributed to the preparation of the National Health Plan 2010–2020, and was author and co-author of research projects. He represented Portugal in the European Union of Medical Specialists and served on governing bodies of several academic and scientific institutions.
With extensive teaching activity in universities and health schools, he was an Affiliated Professor at ICBAS and a lecturer at ISPUP, where he coordinated curricular units and supervised master’s and doctoral theses. He has received several public distinctions in recognition of his professional and civic career.
Maria do Céu Sá Lima
Maria holds a degree in Humanities from the Catholic University of Braga and taught Portuguese at the Ponte de Lima Secondary School until 2012. In her final years of teaching at the school, Maria worked with adults and coordinated the New Opportunities Center. Additionally, Maria began teaching Portuguese as a foreign language in 1989, having acquired extensive experience both in the production of didactic materials and teaching students. She is co-author of several manuals and other materials of native Portuguese and Portuguese as a foreign language. Maria’s international career includes having taught in Sweden, Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau.
Dr. Mehrad Nazari
Dr. Mehrad Nazari is a pioneer in conscious leadership and collaborative culture, dedicated to fostering harmony between people, organizations, and the planet. With more than 30 years of business leadership experience in San Diego and a decade as a professor of International Business Negotiation at United States International University, he integrates practical wisdom with mindful awareness to build organizations grounded in trust, purpose, and cooperation.
Author of the award-winning book Enlightened Negotiation: 8 Universal Laws to Connect, Create, and Prosperand contributing author to Evolving Leadership for Collective Wellbeing, Dr. Nazari bridges leadership, ethics, and sustainability. Drawing on decades of experience in business, education, and spiritual development, he continues to guide communities and organizations toward more conscious, collaborative, and regenerative ways of living and working.
Dra. Ana Isabel Ferraz
Auxiliary Professor at Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Member of proMetheus-IPVC R&D Unit Direction Board, Coordination of the Geoinformatics and Environmental Engineering Bachelor Degree.
PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering (University of Minho, 2008). Integrated researcher at proMetheus - Research Unit on Materials, Energy and Environment for Sustainability (IPVC), and collaborator researcher at CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering (University of Minho). R&D activity includes the participation in several R&D projects mainly focused on (bio)resource and agroindustral waste/by-products valorization (biogas, biochar,...), water and wastewater treatment innovation using Nature Based Solutions and new low cost adsorbents to support the definition of circular and low-carbon (bio)economy models, contribute to processes and territorial sustainability and climate change adaptation.
António Carlos Matos
António Carlos Matos graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra in 1989 and practiced as a lawyer in Ponte de Lima between 1991 and 2019. He served as president of the Ponte de Lima Delegation of the Portuguese Bar Association from 1998 to 2004.
In addition, he was a founding member of Limici — an association for the protection of cultural heritage and the environment, based in Ponte de Lima — and was a member of the editorial board of the publication Arquivo de Ponte de Lima.
An enthusiast of culture and the arts, António was a member of the cultural association CAL — Comunidade Artística Limiana — between 2012 and 2016. He has been a member of the Municipal Assembly of Ponte de Lima, almost continuously, since 1993.
Marie-Cecile Morel
Marie-Cécile Morel has been living in Portugal since June 2024. Together with her husband, she moved here because they consider it a wonderful country and also due to her husband’s health. He suffers from COPD, a lung disease; however, the air in Portugal is not always very clean, especially during the burning season. She would like to contribute to improving air quality—not only for themselves, but for everyone, and particularly for the children who live here. She is trained as a nutritionist, acupuncturist, and office manager.
Pedro Salvador
Pedro Salvador is a manager, consultant, and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in leadership, business transformation, and strategic development in the financial, logistics, and agri-food sectors. He began his career at Banco Totta & Açores and later joined CTT – Correios de Portugal, where he held management and executive roles in both Portugal and Spain. He is the founder of KeepitNatural Portugal and the producer of the brands Pura da Moura DOC and Stilla Pura DOC. Currently a doctoral candidate in Management at the University of Minho, he has also served as a guest lecturer in higher education and as a municipal councilor in Ponte de Lima.
George Oliveira Marques
George was born and raised in Toronto, Canada to Portuguese parents. He has a background in science and law and has worked in various industries including telecommunications, IT and property development. At Respirarmelhor.pt, he uses his experience in board governance, stakeholder relations and corporate finance to offer practical, creative advice and guidance gleaned from past successes and failures alike. George views queimadas of Alto Minho as a practice in need of improvement to protect the air quality and heritage of his ancestral home.
A dual-qualified lawyer, George Manuel blends North American technical rigor with European experience to implement biochar technology. At Respirarmelhor.pt, he treats the queimadas of Alto Minho as a system to be optimized, protecting the air quality and heritage of his ancestral home.
Elizabeth Ferber, MPH, M.Ed
Elizabeth Ferber worked at Kaiser Permanente, the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, for fifteen years. In her many roles at the organization, she led community grassroots efforts, supported hospital administration, and managed corporate-wide strategic projects. Elizabeth holds a Master of Public Health degree in Community Health, and she is a graduate of both Columbia and New York Universities. Elizabeth spent over two decades as a journalist covering public policy, governmental, and environmental issues in addition to being an elementary school teacher. Elizabeth is a best-selling author with ten published books to her credit and dozens of articles in such publications as The New York Times and the Washington Post. Elizabeth was President of the Board for the San Francisco Public Health Foundation and a member of the Nominating Committee for the Aravind Eye Foundation.
Larry Cammarata, Ph.D
Larry Cammarata, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist specializing in mindfulness-based education and mind-body health. As Director of Education for Mindfulness Travels, he trains other health professionals by integrating scientific research with experiential practices in support of health, resilience, and well-being. Skilled in interpreting and applying research evidence on stress, behavior, and human health, Dr. Cammarata translates science into real-world strategies that promote mental and physical wellness. He was recognized as an “Author-Expert” by IDEA for his writing, teaching, and service in the fields of mind-body health, fitness, and wellness.
Alexandra Pereira
A project manager within the Grupo Salvador Caetano at NiW – IT Services and Consulting, Alexandra Pereira has an undergraduate degree in applied languages and a master’s degree in information systems, both from the Universidade do Minho. She brings with her a deep background in information systems, IT and project management, and a strong focus on connecting business goals with effective technological solutions to help her community in Northern Portugal and beyond.
Josh Lebowitz
Josh Lebowitz is an award-winning writer, producer, director, webinar/podcast host, and professional voice over talent. He spent the first half of his career working in television in New York City, the second half copywriting and making corporate videos in California and is currently enjoying his career's “third half” in Northern Portugal, where he’s recently launched an executive media coaching business. In addition, Josh has been a radio personality, short film director, children’s book author, screenwriter, script doctor, promo producer, stand-up comedian, and the loudest guy in almost every room he’s ever been in.
Michelle Hébert Nazari
Michele Hébert Nazari, RYS 500, is a spa consultant and wellness educator, an award-winning author, and a motivational speaker. As the former media representative for the American Council on Exercise in the area of mind-body integration, Michele pioneered the principles of yoga and breathwork within the health and fitness industry. During her 40 years of international teaching experience, she developed yoga and breathwork programs in spas, hospitals and universities and consulted with spas in Egypt, Sweden, and Guam as well as at The Chopra Center, Esalen Institute, Scripps Institute, and University of California at San Diego. Better breathing for health and vitality is at the heart of her teachings.
Eric Mayer Ph.D.
Eric Mayer, Ph.D. is the founder of Napachar and an environmental engineer focused on scalable solutions for carbon sequestration. He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, along with a Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago.
Drawing on his background in climate modeling, Eric identified biochar—especially distributed, place-based production—as a practical and immediate solution to carbon capture. Through Napachar, he works with vineyard, orchard, and forest managers in Napa and Sonoma to convert biomass waste into biochar on-site, reducing air pollution, wildfire risk, and the need for transport.
His approach emphasizes a “scale out, not up” philosophy—empowering local operators to produce biochar within their own communities, creating a resilient and distributed model for climate action.
Martha Faust
Martha Faust's professional background has focused on environmental protection, urban planning, redevelopment of contaminated land, and community and economic development. She has over 25 years of experience working for state and local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the United States, and has served on several community boards. Most recently, she worked for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, creating a new community outreach unit within the Brownfields (polluted land) program. Martha has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Minnesota and bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and French.
Ana Margarida Santos
Ana Margarida Santos is a Tourism graduate and independent experience designer, dedicated to connecting people with places through storytelling, cultural insight, and meaningful human interaction. Her work is rooted in creating personalized tours that go beyond traditional tourism, fostering a deeper understanding of local identity, history, and social context.
She identifies with the mission of “Respirar Melhor, Viver Melhor,” embracing a vision of collective impact through collaboration with local communities, promoting health, wellbeing, and sustainable environmental practices. She supports initiatives that rethink traditional approaches, encouraging innovative solutions and conscious resource management to foster a balanced relationship between people, land, and long-term environmental resilience.