Board of Directors

Anton has been living in Canada for 33 years and has been a Board member since 2013. He has a Ph.D. degree in Islamic history and works for the Department of National Defence. He participates actively in preserving Bulgarian culture and language in Ottawa-Gatineau and has helped organizing most of the events for the Bulgarian community in the region since 2014. Anton maintains connections with the Bulgarian organizations in other Canadian cities. He is a recipient of two medals – Canada Service Medal and NATO ISAF Medal for his deployment in Afghanistan as an advisor for the commander ISAF.

Elena has lived in Canada for over 20 years and has been on the board for several terms. She has a master's degree in linguistics from Carleton University, as well as certificates in project management. She works for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as a project manager. She is one of those who helped create the Bulgarian Cultural Days festival in Ottawa. She has helped organize and conduct all editions of the festival, as well as many other events organized by the Bulgarian community in Ottawa-Gatineau. In the new Board, she wants to work in two directions. First, attracting new members of the community and especially for families of mixed origin (which is her case). Second, organizing events for children. She has an almost 5-year-old daughter who attends the Bulgarian school and folk dance club. She believes that such activities are very important for ensuring the future of the Bulgarian community in Ottawa-Gatineau.

She has lived in Canada for 20 years. She works in the field of administration and accounting. She has a Master's degree, engineer-manager, business administration from Bulgaria, and from Canada professional diplomas "accounting and administration" and "tax accounting".

From 2006 to the present she has been actively involved in the Bulgarian school in Ottawa, first as a volunteer, then an instructor, a circle of Bulgarian traditions; and since 2020 an instructor of the junior class in the Bulgarian school. Her active participation in the board of directors is from 2011 to the present. In the period 2011-2016 she was responsible for the accounting of the Bulgarian Foundation in Ottawa; 2016-2024 she was responsible for issuing deduction notes for donations to the Bulgarian Foundation in Ottawa. The preservation of Bulgarian traditions and customs among the Bulgarian community in Ottawa-Gatineau is a priority for her and therefore she continues to participate in the activities of the Bulgarian society.