Ľubica Kováčová
Executive Director
OUR STRUCTURE
EDYN Headquarters is located in Bratislava, Slovakia and provides management, coordination, strategic guidance and fundraising support to the network.
EDYN HQ TEAM
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Ľubica Kováčová is the Executive Director at the EDYN HQ. She previously worked as the Head of the Office of the Minister at the Slovak Ministry of Environment. Her experiences include mostly political party development, campaigning, communication and public administration. Lubica holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois and M.A. in International Relations from University of Groningen.
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Nadezhda Mouzykina is the Deputy Regional Director with the Central and Eastern Europe team. Since joining NDI in 2009, she has supported in-country and regional programming focused on parliamentary strengthening; political party and civil society development; election administration; and inclusion of marginalized populations, such as the Roma, women and youth, LGBTQ+, and religious minority groups. Ms. Mouzykina holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University and a B.A. in International Studies, with minors in Russian, German, and Vocal Performance, from the Johns Hopkins University.
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Jeremy Lennon is a Program Associate at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). At NDI, Jeremy supports EDYN, and projects related to Serbia and Montenegro. Jeremy holds a B.A. in Comparative Politics and German Studies from the University of Puget Sound.
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Lucia Jasenovcová is the Communications Officer at EDYN HQ. She has a strong background in content creation and worked in various fields including corporate and political communication, SaaS marketing, and public relations. She holds a BA in Translation studies from Comenius University in Bratislava and an MA in Journalism, Media, and Communications from Cardiff University in Wales.
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Carlotta Serioli leads HQ's fundraising and outreach efforts, focusing on grants and international activities implemented with external stakeholders as well as developing and expanding the network's partnerships with a range of organizations, institutions, think tanks, and universities across Europe, the US, and the UK. She has a background in policy advocacy and project management at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; political research and communications at Italy’s leading think tank (the Institute for International Political Studies); and strategic consulting for Europe’s largest investment banks. Carlotta holds a B.A. in Politics and International Relations from the University of Manchester and a M.Sc. in International Political Security from University College London.
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Naser comes to us from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and he also has experience in multiple multinational institutions (European Commission, Council of Europe, OSCE, ODIHR), international organizations (NDI, WFD) and non-profits in North Macedonia and Sweden. Naser holds a master's in International Development from Lund University in Sweden and an advanced master’s in European Policy and Governance from the College of Europe.
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Monika brings a wealth of experience to EDYN, having served as the Head of Accounting and Finance Director. She is a seasoned tax advisor with a successful accounting business of her own. Monika holds an engineering degree from the Economical University in Bratislava. In addition to managing EDYN's finances, she is dedicated to continually improving her skills and expertise in the field.
Alumni Board coming in September 2024.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS
Peter Cari
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A founding partner of Prism Communications, Peter Cari is one of the country’s leading experts on campaign tactics and strategy. He brings his blend of research-driven strategy and hands-on client involvement to campaigns ranging from the legislative level to statewide races, ballot initiatives, and independent expenditure operations. Over the course of his career, his expertise has delivered results in over 1000 campaigns, from small state and local campaigns to some of the most pivotal statewide and federal races. With Prism Communications, Cari has served as the media consultant and lead strategist for numerous Democrats elected in often-hostile territory – particularly Republican-leaning districts in the South and industrial Midwest. In addition, Cari has helmed multimillion-dollar independent expenditure efforts for organizations such as the National Education Association, Democratic Governors Association, League of Conservation Voters, America’s Families First Action Fund, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Wisconsin Education Association Council, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Cari began his political career while completing his B.A. in Political Science at American University, working as an intern at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He went on to serve in various senior-level roles at the DCCC from 1996 to 2004. As Political Director in the 2004 cycle, he was responsible for the committee’s overall strategic direction, candidate recruitment, polling, paid communications and messaging. In both 2002 and 2004, he directed all aspects of the DCCC’s $40 million independent expenditure campaigns. In 1998, Cari served as the DCCC’s chief tactician, directing the Committee’s polling, research, and issue advocacy operations. In 1996, he headed the research department and led the issue advocacy program, which assisted in the pick-up of nine seats. In 1999, Peter founded Cari Strategic, a firm dedicated to providing planning, crisis communications, branding, party building, media services and strategic guidance to candidates, advocacy groups, NGOs and political parties in the United States and internationally. An avid hunter, fisherman, subsistence gardener and University of Wisconsin Badgers fan, Peter lives in Arlington, Virginia or on his farmland in Southern Maryland.
Jonas Rolett,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
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Jonas Rolett has worked on democracy and governance issues in Europe for much of his career. His focus has been on building civic resilience, opening the political process, promoting good governance and defending human rights. He has lived in Budapest and Tirana and remains closely involved in Albania's political and social development. From 1998 to 2021 Mr. Rolett served in a variety of roles at the Open Society Foundations, including Regional Director, Advocacy Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman. He worked a broad range of issues, including debt relief, vaccine justice and citizen engagement. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations, Mr. Rolett was a Senior Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), where he promoted democratic development across Eastern Europe. He managed programs related to governance, civic participation and political party building, and established domestic election monitoring organizations in five countries. Mr. Rolett is co-founder of the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group and has served as a steering committee member on the World Bank's Global Partnership for Social Accountability. He holds a BA in Literature and Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar.
Kathryn Walt Hall
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Kathryn Walt Hall is an attorney, businesswoman, and former US Ambassador to Austria. Ms. Hall began her public career as Assistant City Attorney in Berkeley, California. Later, she joined Safeway Stores, where she was responsible for developing and administering one of the first and largest affirmative action programs in the United States. Subsequently, she worked as an attorney and businesswoman in Dallas, Texas, where she was the President of an inner city development company and partner of Hall Financial Group, Inc. Throughout her distinguished career as a successful businesswoman, community activist, and humanitarian, she has been active in a number of civic issues, serving on numerous non-profit and institutional boards, addressing issues related to social care and mental health. Ms. Hall co-founded the North Texas Food Bank, served on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Hunger Advisory Committee, and was the Director/Vice President of the Texas Mental Health Association. In 1995, Ms. Hall was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the National Advisory Council for Violence Against Women and as a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. From 1998 to 2001, she served as the United States Ambassador to Austria. Ms. Hall has also been a leader in numerous business organizations, including the Dallas area Chambers of Commerce, the Dallas Assembly, Commercial Real Estate Women, and the Texas Retailers Association. Ms. Hall serves on the Napa Legal Aid Board, the Board of Directors of Festival Napa, and is a Trustee of the Southwestern Medical Center. She is fluent in French and German, earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, a joint MBA from UC California, Berkeley & Columbia University, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Greg Strimple
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GS Strategy Group clients benefit from Greg Strimple’s unique combination of expertise in public opinion and consumer behavior, his award-winning advertising work, and his extensive knowledge of regulated industries, the political process, and public policymaking. Greg has leveraged his research, analytical, and communications skills to devise and execute successful public policy and marketing campaigns for some of the country’s leading corporations and institutions. Prior to starting GS Strategy Group, Greg was a founding partner of Mercury Public Affairs, a national public affairs consultancy that was acquired by The Omnicom Group. At Mercury, Greg was the firm’s senior strategist overseeing polling and advertising. He was personally involved in many of the firm’s most critical accounts, and has extensive experience in healthcare, energy, entertainment, financial, and telecommunications issues. Greg has served as pollster and senior advisor in presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns across the country, including Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in his upset victory of 2009 and reelection in 2013, Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s victory in 2010, and Texas Senator John Cornyn’s reelections in 2014 and 2020. More recently, he conducted polling and guided strategy on behalf the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund. Greg has conducted and interpreted the results of hundreds of local, state, national and international opinion surveys for campaigns, corporations, NGOs, and business coalitions. Greg currently resides in Boise, ID with his wife, Kari, and their four children.
Caryn Eggeraat
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Caryn Eggeraat is the principal of the Endicott Group, a political consulting firm specializing in donor development for Republican federal candidates. Over the years, Caryn has served as Finance Director for a center right caucus in the House of Representatives, eight Members of Congress and nine United States Senators. She has overseen small to multi-million-dollar campaign operations, strategizing and executing a plan to fund each. Caryn earned her bachelor’s from Western Michigan University and her master’s from Suffolk University. She resides in Washington, DC.
Alison Kelly
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Alison Kelly is a retired Irish diplomat, She holds an honours degree in Social Science from University College Dublin and a postgraduate degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. Much of her career involved multilateral negotiations in the EU, UN, OSCE and other international frameworks. Diplomatic assignments abroad included The Hague, Cairo, OSCE Vienna, Madrid, Washington, Ambassador to the Czech Republic, non-resident Ambassador to Ukraine and Ambassador to Israel. Her headquarters assignments encompassed EU internal and external relations, the UN, OSCE, Africa, the Middle East and disarmament and non-proliferation issues. She lives in Dublin.
Nicholas Henry Whyte
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Nicholas Whyte is a Senior Director at the Brussels office of APCO, a global strategic public affairs consultancy. A candidate and activist in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s, he worked for the National Democratic Institute in Bosnia and Croatia in 1997-98, and then in Brussels for the Centre for European Policy Studies and the International Crisis Group as a Balkan and Eastern European analyst. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ulster University. HE reads science fiction unashamedly.
Leadership Council serves as the representative and decision-making body of the network and is supported by three committees: Communications, Partnerships and Elections.
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBERS
Mario Keputa
President, Albania
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Mario Keputa, a 28-year-old political science graduate with a master's degree in regional politics, has been at the forefront of political activism for a decade. His extensive experience includes serving as a political analyst, where his insights have significantly shaped the political discourse. Mario's contributions extend to the realm of public policy, particularly in drafting initiatives aimed at supporting the youth of Albania. His work reflects a deep commitment to empowering young individuals and driving positive change in the political landscape.
Vladislav Sazonov
Vice-President, Belarus
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Born and raised in Minsk, Belarus, he completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees at VMU and VU in Lithuania in the field of political science, with minors in economics and international law. He also spent 2 semesters at the University of Oslo. Currently, he is pursuing a Master's Degree in International Relations at the University of Warsaw. Vladislav has extensive experience in various fields, primarily in private, public, and NGOs. His job experience includes working in banking/finances and on projects within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania, as well as with a Youth Policy NGO and a Human Rights/Mental Health NGO. He has also worked with ethnic minority youth, focusing on their integration. Additionally, his master's thesis centers around research on ethnic minorities in Ukraine. Regarding politics, Vladislav has been involved in Tatsiana Karatkevich's election campaigns in Belarus and is affiliated with the "Tell the Truth!" campaign. He is a native speaker of Belarusian and Russian and is fluent in English, Polish, Lithuanian, and Norwegian. Moreover, he has a strong command of German, Ukrainian, and Latvian, and possesses some knowledge of Italian and Arabic. In his free time, Vladislav enjoys traveling, cycling, skiing, inline skating, and hiking.
Marija Bandulova Taseva
Vice-President, North Macedonia
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Marija Taseva is an accomplished professional with a Master's degree in Political Science, specializing in International Politics and Diplomacy. She holds numerous international diplomas and has demonstrated her expertise in the "Modernization of Public Administration" through advanced studies at the Law University of Valencia, Spain.With a background in project cycle management, Marija began her career as a junior associate on a political positioning project. Since 2018, she works the Center for development of the South-East planning region (CDSEPR), contributing to cross-border projects for regional development. Currently serving as the Project Coordinator in the Regional Social Point in the frame of CDSEPR, that drives positive social impact. Beyond her professional roles, Marija from 2009 is deeply involved in civic engagement at both local and national levels. She actively participates as a member and volunteer in various civil organizations. Her multifaceted contributions extend to youth work, research, training, moderation, and facilitation, all aimed at fostering youth activism. She is one of the founders of BETA Macedonia and a member of the Executive Board of the Center for Research and Analysis NOVUS. Her international commitment and collaboration is evident through her work and involvement in numerous Erasmus+ projects and from 2020 she serves as an EDYN Ambassador of the European Youth Democracy Network. She was also a grantee of the EDYN Membership Engagement Fund, highlighting her dedication to advancing youth-related initiatives for positive societal change, youth empowerment, and international cooperation.
Cristi Mariuța
Secretary General, Moldova
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Cristi Mariuța is a project manager and activist in the field of civic participation and youth development, with over five years of experience. He is the co-founder of DeFacto platform, which tracks the accountability of Moldovan MPs, as well as an alumnus and mentor of the Challenger program, which aims to empower young leaders from Moldova.
Ana Gjidiaj
Albania
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Ana has 7 years of experience in politics, holding various positions such as coordinator of one of the largest youth forums in Albania, a member of the forum's leadership, part of the leading group of election campaigns, and an advisor to a member of parliament.She is focused on the field of economy, and mainly in youth issues such as education, emigration of young people and the encouragement of decision-making among young people. Fueled by her passion and extensive political background, Ana, along with her friends, founded the "Veliera Institute," an NGO committed to political education and media literacy, where she serves as a Board Member. Additionally, Ana has completed her bachelor's studies in finance, and alongside her political involvement, she works as a financial analyst in the telecommunications sector.
Albert Hayrapetyan
Armenia
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Albert Hayrapetyan holds a Ph.D. in Economics and serves as a lecturer at the Chair of International Economics at the Armenian State University of Economics. He is the Head of the Payment Systems Division of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia. Dr. Hayrapetyan’s areas of expertise include EU politics, policies, and regional integrations. He has earned Master’s degrees from the College of Europe and the American University of Armenia. Dr. Hayrapetyan is the author of numerous scientific articles and three collective monologues. Notably, he translated the book “The State in the Third Millennium” written by His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein from English to Armenian. He was also among the first Armenian scholars to publish a comprehensive study on the legal aspects of the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. Dr. Hayrapetyan was a guest lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna, the University of Gdansk, Poznan University of Economics and Business, and Corvinus University of Budapest.
Nikola Kandić
Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Nikola Kandić is a lawyer, youth worker and storyteller from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He earned a master’s degree in civil and company law at the University of East Sarajevo. During his student period, he was president of the Student Assembly and began his career as a civil activist. He gained work experience by working in the Ministry of Justice of the Republika Srpska, UNHCR, and non-governmental organizations in BiH (Institute for Youth Development Kult, Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, Civitas BiH). He currently works as a Communication and Outreach specialist in the IT sector. He is a member of the Youth Advisory Group at the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was appointed as an ambassador of the EDYN network and a European youth ambassador for the Western Balkans by the European Commission. He is recognized as a youth leader and is the author of a number of researches, methodologies and programs in the field of youth work. Fields of his work: media and information literacy, communications, youth policies, dealing with the past, regional cooperation, social innovations.
Marija Kovac
Croatia
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Marija has been involved in politics for 10 years and is an active member of the Croatian Democratic Union. As a young person in politics, she represents high democratic values and participate in the daily creation of youth policy. She is also a member of the Croatian Academic Association and contributes to the development of dialogue, tolerance and civil society. The purpose of the association is to promote the development and improvement of higher education and science in Croatia.
Giorgi Agirbaia
Georgia
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Giorgi Agirbaia serves as an Executive Director of ProActive Group Georgia, one of the leading independent youth NGO. He is Internationalization Development Manager at Alterbridge University in Georgia. Giorgi is a young professional with 10 years of working experience in CSO's and 6 years in the education sector. Held different positions as an international youth and educational programs manager, team leader, certified trainer. He is German Marshall Fund of United States TILN Fellow of 2024 cohort. Since 2014, Giorgi actively implements International programs supported by EU, CoE, German Foreign Office, USAID/Georgia, conducted dozens of Erasmus+ youth mobility projects in UK, Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia to contribute the Development of a free, democratic and proactive-minded inclusive society. Holding MBA and PhD in Public Governance from GTU, as an Erasmus+ doctoral exchange student studied at Alcala University, Spain, 2021. Giorgi is the consultant of the book: “Regional Policy of EU Countries”. He is advocating for Youth Meaningful Participation as a Council of Europe Conference of INGO’s Youth Delegate, EDYN Ambassador and Generation Democracy member, defending democracies and empowering youth locally and globally. Giorgi is actively invited in different international forums, conferences as a moderator, panelist, such as Economic Forum of Young Leaders and Innovation Forum in Poland. Youth Delegate at Global Peace Summit in Seoul, South Korea (2017), World Forum for Democracy (2022-23) at CoE and European Parliament.
Blerta Berisha
Kosovo
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Blerta Berisha holds degrees in International Relations and Diplomacy, along with Economics, Bank Finance, and Accounting. Accumulating three years of diverse experience within the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, she embarked on her journey as an intern in the Office of the Prime Minister with the Swedish Embassy. Progressing through roles, Blerta served as support staff in the office for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Executive Assistant to the Minister of Justice, and Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy. Since 2021, she has held the position of Executive Director at EDYN Kosovo, reflecting her commitment to leadership and community development.
Hubert Tadych
Poland
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Hubert Tadych (29 y.o.) serves as Ambassador in Poland and is responsible for external relations in the rank of Partnership Officer. He cooperates with the Campus Poland Foundation, with which he coordinates a number of international projects. He was the Vice-President of European Democrat Students and an expert of the European Youth Forum. Professionally a lawyer and trainee lawyer. He worked in the European Parliament and in the European Committee of the Regions. Graduate of the MBA programme in energy and climate. Participant in the Office for International Leadership programmes of the US Congress, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the School for Political Leadership.
Andra Balan Costache
Romania
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Mayoral candidate and Romanian trailblazer. Former Secretary of State for youth, Obama Leader 2023, and Oxford Fellow. Breaking barriers for youth, Roma, and women with 6 years in public governance. Empowering non-governmental impact for 15 years—a catalyst for positive change.
Aleksandar Mijailovic
Serbia
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Aleksandar Mijailović is a lawyer and a political and civic activist. He completed his studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Novi Sad. After that, he worked as an intern in a lawyer's office, passed the Bar exam, and then established his own law firm. Aleksandar is a member of the Youth Union of Šabac, where he has organized protests against the government and also initiated activities for the youth such as public opinion research, workshops, various green actions, debates for young politicians, and more. He is also a member of the TOGETHER political party and serves as the Head of its Legal Team. Additionally, during the 2022 parliamentary elections, Aleksandar was a member of the Republic Electoral Commission of Serbia. He also ran as a candidate for MP in a local parliament during the 2023 local elections. Furthermore, he was in charge of legal control of the elections for the coalitions of political parties he represented during the local and parliamentary elections in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
Rustam Savranskyi
Ukraine
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Rustam Savranskyi is a young political and civil society leader, he holds Master's degrees in Finance and Public Administration. More than 15 years he has made efforts to strengthen democracy in various civil society and political organizations. He was in leadership position in national students and youth organizations, youth wings of political party “SOLIDARNIST” and “UDAR” and worked as adviser to several MP’s for the last 10 year. Currently he focuses on volunteering and development of the local community in Kyiv as much as development of EDYN in Ukraine.
Country Chapters located across 23 countries bring together young people who are active in public life. They develop initiatives tackling the most pressing societal problems by identifying solutions from across the political and ideological spectrum that EDYN represents.
80 Members, 7 Ambassadors:
21 Members, 1 Ambassadors:
17 Members, 2 Ambassadors:
35 Members, 3 Ambassadors:
14 Members, 1 Ambassadors:
22 Members, 3 Ambassadors:
67 Members, 7 Ambassadors:
23 Members, 3 Ambassadors:
62 Members, 7 Ambassadors:
73 Members, 5 Ambassadors:
36 Members, 1 Ambassadors:
63 Members, 7 Ambassadors:
31 Members, 2 Ambassadors:
19 Members, 2 Ambassadors:
21 Members, 1 Ambassadors:
31 Members, 3 Ambassadors:
156 Members, 7 Ambassadors: