Executive Management

The Management has the following responsibilities:

To act as legal representation of the Association
To implement strategies and policies agreed by the Committee
To manage the day-to-day business of Interpret Europe

Specific tasks are

Providing services to membership
Developing and maintaining the website
Preparing for and servicing the General Assembly of members
Preparing for and running the Annual Conference
Establishing links with other NGOs and European institutions
Seeking and running projects that contribute to the funds of the Association and help to achieve its goals and purposes

So, who forms the Executive Management?

Patrick Lehnes, Executive Director

My first profession was teaching young people to milk cows and work in the forest. I then studied Geography and Biology at Freiburg University. After I discovered interpretation during a visit in Wales in 1995, I conducted applied research on heritage interpretation in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest).

In 2002 I left the university and started a freelance consultancy in interpretive planning and writing as well as training and mentoring. This work has provided valuable insights into the challenges interpretation is facing in Germany and in other countries such as Italy, Greece, Poland, Switzerland and the South Caucasus region.

I believe in the great potential for heritage interpretation in Europe. In order to realise this potential we need to combine our enthusiasm with professionalism and we need to establish professional structures.

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Bettina Lehnes, Assistant Director

For almost twenty five years I was a passionate teacher in primary school and kindergarten. My main focus has always been to show children the world and to help them love it.

I started a couple of years ago as the proofreader for Patrick's work. I then got more and more caught by heritage interpretation bug and finally joined him in his business in 2009.

It turned out that we can collaborate very smoothly with complementary skills. This effective collaboration has allowed us to take the initiative in preparing the foundation of Interpret Europe.