Mr. Anton Minkov – President
This is Anton’s second mandate at the Board. As a president of NCRBC and ORBF in the past two and a half years, he has spent countless hours furthering the interests of the community. Anton Minkov has been an Ottawa resident since 1991. He has a Ph.D. in Islamic History (McGill University) and has taught at Carleton University and University of Ottawa. Currently, he works at the Department of National Defence as a Strategic Analyst in the Assistant Deputy Minister (S&T) Advisory Cell. Anton is also the representative of the Bulgarian community in Canada at the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. He is married to Ludmila Minkova and has three daughters – Lilyana, Nicole and Laura. His favourite activities are cooking (especially traditional Bulgarian dishes) and winemaking, and he is fan of classic rock, ethno-jazz, and folk music from around the world.
Elena Aminkova
This is Elena’s second mandate at the Board. She has been instrumental in organizing the Bulgarian Cultural Days Festival, renewing the status of NCRBC and ORBF according to the new Canada Non-for-profit Incorporations Act, working on initiating the Federation of Bulgarian organizations in Canada, and updating NCRBC and ORBF by-laws. Professionally, Elena is a Director at the Canadian Clinical Trials and Coordinating Centre. Elena brings over 10 years of project management and research experience in the academic, private, public and non-for-profit sectors. She holds a MA degree from Carleton University.
Biana Gordon
This is Biana’s first mandate at the Board. She has a Master’s degree in teaching from Bulgaria and two additional qualifications from University of Ottawa. Biana is an Ontario Certified Teacher and has worked for the Ottawa-Carleton School Board since 1992. In 2015, Biana was elected to serve as the President of the Professional Educators and Childcare Staff unit of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. She is also the President of Dance Group “Rodina”. Over the years, Biana has been a strong advocate for united and flourishing Bulgarian
community in Ottawa-Gatineau.
Georgi Stoyanov
This is Georgi’s first term at the Board. He has lived in Canada with his family for more than 10 years. His family moved to Ottawa from Mississauga in 2012. He is currently a member of the Parents’ Council of the Bulgarian school and has contributed extensively to the activities of the school. He is also eager to contribute to the community at large. Georgi has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy, Bulgaria, and is currently working at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. He is also the chair of the Canadian Standards Association’s subcommittee developing new Canadian standard for seismic qualification of nuclear power plants.
Stela Totev
This is Stela’s second term at the Board. She has been instrumental for helping to resolve strife in the Bulgarian community, organizing the Bulgarian Cultural Days Festival, and has been the greatest driving force behind all our fundraising activities in the past two years. In 2015, she was honoured as the most generous donor in the community. As a Director of User Experience Design and Documentation at Corel Corp. and a long-standing member of the community, Stela
brings a lot of experience as a leader, a fundraiser, and a community kingpin.
Stela holds a Ph.D. degree from University of Ottawa.
Officers
Ms. Daniela Yoveva, Treasurer
Ms. Diana Adjarska, Ph.D., CPA, CGA
Ms. Vessela Panayotova, Communications
Vessy’s has been an Ottawa resident since 1999. Vessy has degree in electrical engineering from the Technical University in Sofia, Bulgaria, and has built a successful career as a SAP professional in the last 12 years. Family – husband Plamen Metchkonev, daughers Milena and Ralitsa Stanoev. Likes to read, travel, and meet her many friends. Vessy does a lot of dancing, yoga, skiing and jogging in order to compensate for the long hours in front of the computer. She is responsible for NCRBC’s communications with the community and is very active in assisting visiting Bulgarian artists in Ottawa.