The mandate of the current board will finish at the General Assembly of ENYC in 2025.

Nadia MARINOVA – President

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadia Marinova has been elected President since the establishment of the youth at ENYC in 2003. She is responsible of creating the link between ENYC’s members and the European youth policies, good practices, youth events, policy makers and of promoting the Council of Europe values. Nadia Marinova is an Associate Professor at the New Bulgarian University in Project Management for Sustainable Development. She has been working in the field of youth since 2003 appointing her as Director of the Youth Directorate at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Bulgaria. During this period she was also chairman of the selection committee for
the Youth program.
From 2008 to 2018 she worked as an External Expert Evaluator in the program “Youth in Action” at the Ministry of Education and Science. She is the chairman of the Bulgarian network “Major” which has 10 NGOs from all over the country. So far she has implemented over 100 international youth projects and for over 20 years has consulted various municipalities, universities, NGOs in the field of youth and youth policy.

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Sami SORJONEN – Vice-President

 

 

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Gurkan Akcaer – General Secretary

Gürkan Akçaer, Head of Turkish Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures, dcdicated for Learning Oriented Motilities and Inter-cultural Dialogue

Mr Akçaer’s background in public sector includes Senior Expertise on Project Development and EU Law. He worked as Senior Expert and Lecturer/Assessor/Voting Committee Member in the field of Project Cycle Management-PCM for years.
Specialized in PCM, Assessment of EU Funded Projects and Regional Developments Project, Published a Book about PCM Step by Step Project Writing with Turkish National Agency.

Specialized on implementation of the EU’s Acquis Communautaire into National Laws including “law drafting” and “law approximation techniques” of the EU Law. Worked as Lecturer at Legal Harmonisation of EU Law at Ankara University and Nankai University, PRC.

Specialized in Social Funds and micro projects in social fund context. The experience is ranged from teaching and organising seminars in the fields of Youth and Women, Co-ordination of training programmes on NGO capacity building and social development projects and partnership, networking. Experience in difîerent levels of NGO management including accounting, financial planning, strategic planning, human resources management, public relations, and executive management.

He has been actively involved in Erasmus+ Youth Motilities since 2004. He is founder of S&G Turkey and S&G International Brussels, Legal Representative of Ankara Social Innovation Youth Centre.

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Heli LEHTO – Board Member

Heli is responsible of coordinating the board of ENYC for the fulfilment of our mission and vision. She is leading our general assemblies and the process of developing our network. She has been proposed and supported for this position by the Youth Centre Villa Elba – Finland, which owns one of the 13 youth centres with the Quality Label from the Council of Europe.

In 1987, Heli became youth worker and instructor for physical education and in 1992 she got the Bachelor of Arts.

Heli is also translator/interpreter in Scandinavian languages, English and Russia and in 2015 she became specialist vocational qualified in management.
Since 1997, Heli have been working within the youth sector. Her first 13 years were as youth worker in a little town and after that, as development manager in Villa Elba Youth Centre. As the teamleader of the pedagogical team in Villa Elba, Heli’s main tasks is to develop, together with their specialists, new methods and the content of their environmental education, social youthwork and international youthwork.

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Roland BANHEGYI – Treasurer 

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Armela PENGILI – Board Member

 

Armela is responsible of the connection between our members and the board and with third parties, as well. She has been proposed and supported for this position by ACT for Society Centre – Albania.

Armela is PhD. Candidate in International Relations at the Faculty of Philology and History (University of Tirana). She has studied Social Sciences SOCIOLOGY at the Faculty of Social Sciences in University of Tirana and MSC-International Relations in Faculty of Philology and History. She has been trained on social issues in several EU Commission’s training programs. Armela is also a trainer in youth programs, specialised on youth workers issues, gender equality projects, human rights and democracy etc. She has been lecturer of Sociology at the University Aleksander Moisiu in Durres for a period of 5 years. Recently, she has been engaged as a research assistant within the Faculty of Philology and History.

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Dubravko Sopar- Board Member

Dubravko Šopar is a distinguished board member with a strong background in economics and extensive experience in the nonprofit sector. Holding a degree in economics, Šopar has dedicated his career to the promotion and development of youth programs and policies. He serves as the Executive Director of Impress, an organization focused on the positive affirmation of youth in society, where he oversees all operations, project management, and the creation and maintenance of international partnerships.

As a prominent advocate, Šopar has actively contributed to the creation and implementation of several significant youth programs, including the National Youth Program, the Youth Program of the City of Zagreb, the Youth Program of Dubrava Municipality, and the Youth Program of Bjelovarsko-bilogorska County. His work in these areas highlights his commitment to enhancing the lives of young people through structured and impactful policies.

In addition to his roles at Impress, Šopar is the Director of the Center for Social Innovations, where he leads efforts in project management, human resources, and strategic planning. His expertise extends to the European Network of Youth Centers, where he is a member of the Board of Directors, contributing to the network’s mission of supporting youth centers across Europe.

Šopar’s work in blockchain technology is notable through his partnership with House of Blockchain (HoB) in Zagreb, a leading coworking space dedicated to blockchain, web3, and cryptocurrency innovators. At HoB, he fosters a community of entrepreneurs and provides essential resources and support for blockchain-based projects.

Furthermore, Šopar is an accomplished mentor, working with young entrepreneurs and guiding them through their professional development. His experience as a sports pilot adds a unique dimension to his mentoring, emphasizing discipline, precision, and leadership.

As a trainer for the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA), Šopar leverages his extensive knowledge to train and support youth information workers across Europe. His involvement in ERYICA underlines his dedication to empowering youth through accurate and accessible information.

Dubravko Šopar’s multifaceted career and his unwavering commitment to youth development, policy advocacy, and innovative technologies make him a key figure in the realm of youth empowerment and community leadership.