Athan Barkoukis has devoted his 19-year career to the intersection of food, health and the environment. Barkoukis joined Farmer Foodshare as executive director in the summer of 2025 to help lead efforts increasing access to fresh, local food for all and supporting NC farmers to create an equitable food system. 

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Previously, Barkoukis served eight years as executive director for an environmental non-profit, and he was recognized as one of “Naples 100 Most Influential Business Leaders” by Naples Illustrated in 2024. As the prior executive director of an international nutrition association, Barkoukis traveled the country enhancing nutrition science, education and literacy for dietitians and the public. A core component to his work involved developing programs to increase access to affordable, nutritious food for schools in low-income communities. 

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Barkoukis earned a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Colgate University.