Manolis Grafakos is an economist and the General Secretary for  Waste Management Coordination of the Ministry of  Environment and Energy of Greece.  He studied economics at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of the Aegean, in Banking from the Greek Open University and in “Design, Management and Tourism Policy” from the University of the Aegean. He is a PhD candidate at the University of the Aegean. During 2012 – 2019 he was the Secretary General of the Municipality of Metamorphosis. From 2010 to 2011 he was the President of the Inter-municipal Association for the Sustainable Development “21 Local Authorities” of the northern Attica municipalities. During 2007 – 2010, he was the Mayor of Melissia Attica. In the period 2004-2006, she was a Deputy Commander at the Psychiatric Hospital of Attica. He worked in the private sector from 1994 to 2004, as a business consultant in finance.