Krista Mikkonen

Henkilötiedot

Ympäristö- ja ilmastoministeri 10.12.2019–
Filosofian maisteri, biologi, kansanedustaja
Vihreät
Syntymäaika ja -paikka: 15.11.1972 Hamina
Kotipaikka: Joensuu

Poliittinen ura

Ympäristö- ja ilmastoministeri 10.12.2019–
Ympäristö- ja ilmastoministeri (Rinne) 6.6.2019–10.12.2019

Vihreä eduskuntaryhmä, puheenjohtaja 2016–2019
Vihreä liitto, varapuheenjohtaja 2011–2015
Vihreä liitto, hallitus varajäsen 2009–2011, valtuuskunnan varajäsen 2007–2009, varapuheenjohtaja 1999–2000, valtuuskunta 1997–1999

Kansanedustaja 2015–
Työ eduskunnassa

Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymän hallitus 2017–
Pohjois-Karjalan maakuntaliiton hallitus, 2. varapuheenjohtaja 2017–, varajäsen 2013–2017, valtuusto 2009–2012
Joensuun kaupunginhallitus 2005–2012
Joensuun kaupunginvaltuusto 1997–2000, 2005–

Muu työura ja yhteiskunnallinen toiminta

Jätehuoltoyhtiö Puhas Oy, projektipäällikkö 2012–2015
Pohjois-Karjalan Liikunta ry, seurakehittäjä 2006–2012
Ympäristöalan asiantuntijaosuuskunta TOIMI, biologi (kertaluont. toimeksiantoja) 2005–2009
Pohjois-Karjalan ympäristökeskus, suunnittelija 2006

Karelia ammattikorkeakoulu Oy, hallitus 2013–2017
Kuntaliitto, valtuusto 2009–2017

Muut tiedot

Puoliso: Ville Vuorio
Kielitaito: suomi, englanti, ruotsi
Harrastukset: lautapelit, kulttuurin kuluttaminen, lukeminen, leipominen

Profile

Krista Mikkonen was born in the town of Hamina in south-eastern Finland and went to school in Koria (now part of Kouvola). Now she lives in the North Karelian city Joensuu. She is married to Ville Vuorio and they have three sons.

Mikkonen got interested in environmental issues during her general upper secondary studies. She organised Environment Days at her school and joined a nature protection organisation. She completed her Master of Science degree in biology at the University of Joensuu in 2003. During her university studies, she was involved in various kinds of activities related to the environment and nature. Mikkonen has been an exchange student abroad on two occasions: during her general upper secondary studies in Florida and during her years at the university in Namur, Belgium.

During her career, Mikkonen has worked at the North Karelia Environment Centre, as Club Developer at the Sports Federation of North Karelia and at Waste Management Company Puhas Oy. She has also written various kinds of reports on nature and environmental affairs for the Cooperative of Environmental Specialists. From 2000 to 2003 Mikkonen and her family lived in Kenya.

Mikkonen joined the Green League during her university studies. The first time she was elected to the Joensuu City Council was in 1996, and she has served as a Council Member since 2005. She was the Deputy Party Leader of the Green League in 2011–2015 and, before that, she served in different bodies of the party. 

In the parliamentary elections of spring 2015, Mikkonen was elected to Parliament, where she was the first MP representing the Greens from the Savo-Karelia electoral district. In 2016–2019 she chaired the Green Parliamentary Group. Mikkonen was again elected to Parliament in spring 2019. In politics her particular focus has been on the environment, biodiversity, education and equality, and on combatting poverty.