The Sovereign Base Areas‘ first female Area Administration Officer has said building relationships with local communities will remain her priority as she settles into her new role.
Maria Kyriakidou-Pieri was officially appointed to lead the Dhekelia office in August after 24 years working in the Bases. She took over from George Kiteos following his transfer to Akrotiri.
Kyriakidou-Pieri, who started at the AAO in 2001, has blazed a trail for women in the Bases, climbing through the ranks in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment.
Before joining the Bases, she worked as a Republic of Cyprus civil servant at the Larnaca District Administration Office, where she developed her understanding of relationship building.
She said her vision is to make a meaningful difference for communities by turning public and community projects from plans into reality. The SBA Administration has a vital role to play, and she is determined to support community initiatives so that communities continue to grow and benefit from the work.
A critical part of her role is to safeguard the Bases’ ability to fulfil their primary military purposes whilst ensuring this can coexist harmoniously with local communities’ needs and aspirations, she added.
She said she is committed to maintaining this delicate balance, protecting operational requirements on one hand and supporting community wellbeing on the other.
Reflecting on her role as a woman in a high-level position, Kyriakidou-Pieri said she started as an assistant area inspector — the first woman in that role at the time — and rose through the grades until 2020, when she was promoted to deputy area officer.
She said she was the first woman in all the roles she has undertaken within the traditionally male-dominated environment, but from the beginning her focus was clear: to work hard, build the knowledge and expertise needed to develop confidence, master the work and grow professionally.
She now has a great team of highly accomplished individuals — men and women — working with her, and she appreciates the excellent work they all do.
She said she greatly values the relationships she has built over the years with SBA communities and is proud that they are now able to work together in a spirit of trust and partnership to ensure everyone’s interests are served.
The communities do not always agree, but they maintain an open and constructive dialogue, enabling them to address issues collaboratively and find effective solutions to problems, she added.