Bogdan serves as Senior Director for Program Management of the Center for Global Leadership at Meridian International Center, a global leadership organization located in Washington, DC. He oversees the division’s overall relationship with U.S. Embassies around the world, private and corporate partners,and other governmental entities to ensure the successful implementation of its short-term study tours and other people-to-people and virtual exchange programs.
He also serves as the Program Director for the Central and Eastern Europe Journalist Fellowship Program, an U.S. Embassy Paris funded exchange, designed to strengthen local and regional press and to expand and improve the sustainability of citizen-generated media in Central and Eastern Europe; for the U.S. Speaker Programs for India, Brazil, North Macedonia and Europe; and of the Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs’ Science Envoy Programs.
Previously, Bogdan served for eight years as the Program Director of the U.S. Congress – Korean National Assembly Exchange Program, Meridian second longest running exchange program, which for over 20 years has brought together Congressional interns and students from the two countries for a unique opportunity to broaden their understanding of the U.S.-Korean bilateral relations; for the Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI) and for other highly customized programs for private clients including Visa Corp. and Cargill. He also managed all the international development grants awarded to Meridian by the U.S. Department of State and USAID including projects in Iraq, Iran and West Bank. As a Program Officer he implemented over 200 short-term professional exchanges for foreign officials and dignitaries coming to the U.S. as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program or as guests of various U.S. Embassies abroad. In addition to his work at Meridian, Bogdan serves from time to time as an International Election Observer with the OSCE – the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and has participated in observation missions in Belarus, Romania, Ukraine, and the United States. He is a frequent presence on Romanian media having appeared both as a guest and as an election expert on Antena 1, Antena 3, Digi 24, Europa FM, Prima TV, Pro TV, Romania’s National Radio and TV Broadcasters – TVR and TVR Internațional and also on TVR Moldova.
Bogdan served for over 10 years as President of the Association of Students and Young Professionals from Romania in the DC area, better known as ASTROM, the largest Romanian-American association in the Nation’s Capital. In this capacity he has overseen the development and implementation of some 450 professional and cultural activities and programs aimed at building and promoting the Romanian community in the Washington, DC area. His activity has also given him the unique opportunity to meet and interact with officials at the highest levels from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As President of ASTROM, in 2015 he was able to obtain the first official recognition of the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse when the Mayor of Washington, DC issued an official Proclamation which declared June 24th the Day of the Romanian Blouse in the city. The event was marked by over 200 Romanians dressed in folk costumes who gathered in front of the White House – the largest such gathering of Romanians ever.
Previously, he served as Communication Director with CORA – the Congress of Romanian Americans, an organization active from 1991 until 2004 and dedicated to promoting the interests of the broader Romanian-American community in the U.S. and to further the cooperation between the governments of the United States of America and Romania. Bogdan was also the Founding President of Club Romania, one for the first Romanian student organizations in the U.S. at his alma-matter Brigham Young University, and has served in the board of directors and as an advisor with a number of other Romanian-American organizations.
Bogdan has a Master’s in Political Campaign Management from the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and a B.A. in International Relations from Brigham Young University. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Political Action Committee (PAC) Management from the George Washington University, a Certificate in Professional Grant Proposal Writing from the Institute for Communication Improvement, Grant Institute and a Training Certificate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Cosmin C. Cornea Vice President
Cosmin owns, since 2010, a remodeling business called CC Remodeling, LLC that operates in the DMV area and is specialized in emergency disaster services, water and fire damage restoration, natural disaster restoration, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, basement and exterior reconstruction.
He is a licensed Home Improvement Contractor and works with big names in restoration and remodeling like Paul Davis Restoration, True North Construction, Shamrock, Serv Pro, or Service Master. Cosmin continues to grow professionally by participating in various workshops and by keeping close relations with known contractors. For several years, his company has won many awards including The Best Tradesman of The Month/Year.
Cosmin, originally from Făgăraș, Romania, grew up surrounded by many family members, customs and traditions, folk dance, and music. From his parents and grandparents, he inherited the pleasure of holding people together, united by the same thinking, culture, and same feelings. Since he was a child Cosmin used to participate in the local traditions and then, during high-school and college, he was involved in the organization of various events. During middle school and high school, he played professional handball and had the chance to travel with his squad in different countries, to learn how to work in a team and how to become a leader, since he was a captain and a game coordinator. After moving to the U.S., his passion for music, traditions and especially his desire to bring people together led him to become involved in many community events organized by Romanian churches and by other local groups but also to organize events along with his family or as part of Romanians of DC. Since 2004 Cosmin has volunteered for most Romanian community activities in the DMV area.
Cosmin is a husband, a proud father of two boys, a nature and travel lover, and is passionate about music and sport. He spends his free time together with family and friends, playing football (soccer), skiing, cycling, or just cooking a barbecue.
Gabriel Ciucur Vine Vice President
Gabriel is a practicing attorney and mediator, and the managing member of Vine Law Firm, LLC. Born in Romania, he moved to the U.S. in 1985. He attended California State University, Fresno, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. In 1997, he moved to the Washington, DC area to attend American University’s Washington College of Law.
He obtained his Juris Doctorate (Doctor of Jurisprudence) from the Washington College of Law in 2000. His legal career began as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia. Upon returning to the Washington, DC area in 2002, Gabriel entered private practice and has been a part of the Washington DC Metro Area legal landscape since that time. He is a trusted advisor and counselor to many individuals and organizations, including many members of the Romanian community. In conjunction with the Romanian Embassy in Washington, DC, and other Romanian interest associations, he periodically provides legal seminars and presentations on immigration, work, and other legal issues of particular concern to the Romanian community. Gabriel is admitted as a member in many state and federal bars and associations, including the United States District and Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the Executive Office of Immigration Review (Board of Immigration Appeals & Immigration Courts Nationwide), the District of Columbia Bar, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association (MCDAA), and the American Bar Association (ABA).
Gabriela Enache Sandoz Treasurer
Gabriela is currently serving as the Assistant Deputy for Accounting and Treasury Management with the Virginia Arlington County Treasurer’s Office where she is responsible for safeguarding, management, and accounting for revenues and all financial assets; forecasting short-term investments and capital activities and representing her office in interagency committees and working groups.
Gabriela is also the Treasurer of Virginia Women in Public Finance and of the Falls Church Education Foundation and the Controller for the Adaptive Strategies Consulting. Previously she served as Director of Finance and Human Resources at the American String Teachers in Fairfax. She is an experienced analyst with a demonstrated history of working in the accounting industry, skilled in nonprofit organizations, government, management, and financial accounting. Gabriela has served for the past few years as the Event Organizer of Alianța’s Annual Gala in Washington, DC, and has been closely involved with the local community. She is a graduate of the Romanian American University in Bucharest, Romania with a Bachelor’s degree focused on Economics and a Certified Fraud Examiner by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). In her free time, she enjoys watching musicals, reading books, and cooking.
Aurica Balmuș Secretary
Aurica is a gender and entrepreneurship specialist dedicated to closing the gender gaps in access to finance, markets, and non-financial services. She has over a decade of experience working with financial institutions on increasing their capacity to reach small to medium firms, including women-led enterprises.
Currently she is part of the Women Entrepreneurship Finance Initiative (We-Fi) Secretariat, housed at the World Bank, where she is responsible for effective implementation, learning across stakeholders, and strong governance. We-Fi is a collaborative global partnership that aims to unlock billions in financing for women-owned/led businesses in developing countries.
Prior to joining We-Fi, Aurica worked at the International Finance Corporation in the Blended Finance Department and Financial Institutions Group, where she supported several investment and advisory initiatives focused on small and medium enterprise development in emerging markets around the world. Before that, she was Consultant Lead at Enclude (now part of Palladium), where she focused on small business finance and expanding financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development from University of Pittsburgh.
Aurica served on the Board of the Association of Moldovans in USA “Casa Mare” and is active in the Moldovan and Romanian diaspora activities in the Washington DC area.
Board of Directors
Marcel Bărbulescu Member of the Board
Marcel is a leading and recognized technologist in the field of AI, software engineering, and telecommunications. Until recently he was the President and CFO of Espresoh Tech, LLC, a US-based software engineering company, and serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Alpine Consolidated. Previously, he served as the President & COO of AudioNow Holdings from 2008 to its successful sale in 2017, with responsibility for finance, technology, and operations.
Marcel lead global technical operations and product strategy for AudioNow and multiple early stage ventures. He founded Ziggo Technologies, specializing in bespoke telecom applications, and currently serves on its board. His passion is building experienced teams to deliver technology-based solutions to optimize complex business and social problems. He is the recipient of multiple awards internationally and from US defense agencies, including the U.S. Army War College and Air War College, for his publications and lectures on AI (artificial intelligence) and learning agents for security and military applications. Marcel is a graduate of George Mason University and the Polytechnic University in Romania.
Adina Bora Member of the Board
Adina is the Associate Director for Finance and Administration in the Department of Epidemiology at the George Washington University. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, and a Master of Law in International Law from The George Washington University.
As an employee at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Adina was awarded the ‘2011 UIC INSPIRE Award’ for exemplary service and for inspiring others to do their best and the ‘2011 College of Engineering Staff Excellence Award’ for significant impact on the educational and research mission of the college. As a law student, she was awarded the ‘2017 BEST Publications Editor on the Law Review’ for her exemplary contribution to the Law Review. Adina often acts as a volunteer for Romanian American events, helps members of the Romanian community by providing guidance and mentorship on how to navigate the education system in the United States, and introduces newcomers to the Romanian community.
Felicia Ionescu Member of the Board
Felicia is a Chief of Banking and Financial Analysis section in the Monetary Affairs Division at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. She joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 2013 as an economist in the Division of Research and Statistics, the Household and Real Estate Finance section.
Prior to her job at the Fed, Felicia was an Assistant Professor of Economics at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, A Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and a Research Fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She is a macroeconomist with expertise in human capital investment and financing, student loans and consumer credit default, and bank lending policies. Her work has been published in a variety of academic journals. Felicia received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Transylvania in Romania and an M.A. in Economics, an M.S. in Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Iowa. She has been engaged in the community of Romanian economists, being part of the coordination team and the scientific committee of the Romanian Conference for Romanian Economists. Felicia has been involved in a series of events in the Romanian community in the DC area, including policy discussions with representatives of the economics, business, and legal community from Romania and storytelling for Romanian children in our community.
Mădălina Petric Member of the Board
Mădălina a professional classical pianist since the age of five, is the founder and owner of Mădălina Petric Piano Studio. She has extensive experience in the nonprofit and profit sector with expertise in leadership, programming, fundraising, social media marketing, being a frequent speaker and mentor.
For the past six years, Mădălina served as the Program Director and Social Media Coordinator for Music for Life, a nonprofit organization from Northern Virginia that provides music education programs and mentoring to at-promise children from underserved communities in the DMV area. In May 2020, she was elected Vice-President of the Northern Virginia Music Association. Active in philanthropy and community work, Mădălina also serves as a Board Member for several nonprofit organizations. She earned a Master in Piano Performance, a Master in Arts Management and B.A. in Arts and Business at the George Mason University and a B.M. in Piano Performance at Gheorghe Dima National Music Academy in Cluj Napoca, Romania. A native of Baia Mare, Romania, Mădălina has been constantly involved with various musical projects and strategic educational initiatives in the Romanian community, including the Romanian Embassy in Washington DC, and has played an essential role in educating and strengthening the community. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, singing, reading, cooking, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband, daughter, and their two precious dogs.
Mihnea Rotariu Member of the Board
Mihnea is an Associate Director at Forensic Risk Alliance (FRA) with over 13 years of experience in matters involving bribery and corruption, investigations and financial crimes. Prior to joining FRA’s Forensic Accounting team, Mihnea was a member of PwC’s investigations department in Washington, DC and Bucharest, Romania.
Mihnea is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). He holds a Bachelor’s in International Business from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania. He frequently speaks on Fraud and Anti-Corruption topics, including at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, the Kogod School of Business at American University, the Virginia Bar Association, and local Chapters of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Mihnea was one of founders and board members of another 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on encouraging Romanians living abroad to become active citizens, while also conducting charitable and educational projects.
Greg Scărlătoiu Member of the Board
Greg is the Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) in Washington, DC. He is also a visiting professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Republic of Korea and instructor and coordinator of the Japan and Korean Peninsula class at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Greg is Vice President of the Executive Board of the International Council on Korean Studies (ICKS).
He was Director of Public Affairs and Business Issues with Korea Economic Institute (KEI) in Washington, D.C., a think-tank and educational institution aimed to inform the American public on the importance of U.S.-South Korea relations. For over six years, Greg worked in international development as Management Associate for International Science and Technology, Inc (ISTI), under USAID, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) projects. Since September 2003, Greg has been authoring and broadcasting into North Korea the weekly Korean language “Scărlătoiu Column,” for Radio Free Asia (RFA). He holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Seoul National University’s Department of International Relations. He graduated from the MIT XXI Seminar for U.S. national security leaders in 2016-2017. Greg was awarded the title ‘Citizen of Honor, City of Seoul,’ in January 1999, and ‘Citizen of Honor, City of Buzău,’ his Romanian hometown, in November 2018. He was the first Romanian ever to study in South Korea as a Republic of Korea Government Scholarship student, beginning in August 1990. In May 1996, he represented Romania and won the Grand Prize at the Korea Herald/Korea Broadcasting System/Naewae Economic Daily Korean Language Speech Contest for Foreign Nationals. Between 2011 and 2013, he contributed to a series of workshops, seminars, and focus groups aimed at designing future Romanian national strategy, organized by the Aspen Institute Romania. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Greg possesses multilingual ability in English, Romanian, Korean, and French.
