BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paskal Zhelev - Board Chair
Dr. Paskal Zhelev is an Associate Professor at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia, Bulgaria, specializing in international economic relations, international trade, and competitiveness. He has extensive international academic experience, including a Fulbright Visiting Scholar fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall of 2015. Dr. Zhelev serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Journal of International Economics and Politics and sits on the editorial boards of several international journals. A former Vice-Dean at UNWE and Vice-Rector for International Affairs in Kazakhstan, he is actively engaged in international academic networks, including the Management Committee of the Association of Economic Universities of South and East Europe and the Black Sea Region (ASECU). He has taught at institutions across Europe and Asia, mentoring students in international economics. His expertise in global economic policy and education aligns with the BEST Foundation’s mission to empower young minds.
Julia Lynch - Vice Board Chair
Julia Lynch has been a passionate member of the speech and debate community for almost a decade. As a competitor on the international stage throughout college, she experienced the power that debate and dialogue hold as a means of intercultural communication and understanding. She graduated from the University of Miami in 2020 with a degree in Finance and Business Law. Seeking to combine her love for debate with her background in teaching, Julia joined the BEST Foundation as the Debate Coordinator while serving as a Fulbright-America for Bulgaria English Teaching Assistant in Dobrich in 2021. During her two-year term, she developed a deep connection to BEST and was inspired by the support and dedication of the students and community. Upon her return to the U.S., Julia began her studies at Harvard Law School and enthusiastically joined the BEST Board of Directors in 2023.
Angela Rodel
Angela Rodel came to Bulgaria on a Fulbright grant in 1996, lured by the mystery of Bulgarian voices. Having fallen in love with Bulgarian folk singing and Bulgarian language, she decided to make Bulgaria her permanent home as of 2004. In recent years, she has become a leading translator of Bulgarian literature into English, with seven novels published in the US and UK, as well as plays, poems and essays by leading Bulgarian writers. As of 2015, she has served as executive director of the Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission. Her exceptional work as a translator contributed to the success of the book "Timeshelter" that earned the prestigious 2023 Booker International Award, solidifying her position as a luminary in the world of literary translation. At her first BEST tournament, she was blown away by the students’ talent, intelligence and artistry – and immensely proud of the Fulbright/ABF ETAs who founded this wonderful organization.
Gabrielle Cascio
Gabrielle first learned about the BEST community in 2019 and has been involved ever since, as both a coach and Student Leader Coordinator. Outside of her involvement in BEST, Gabrielle has served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Sliven and currently works in Washington, D.C. to advocate for international exchange programs. In her spare time, she loves reading fantasy, talking about cheese, and traveling!
Stanimir Stoilov
Stanimir is a resident doctor in London having graduated from Warwick Medical School in summer 2024. He is currently completing the specialised foundation programme at London North West Healthcare and Imperial College. An alum of Pazardzhik’s Bertolt Brecht Language School, his speech and debate journey began in 2013 when Еttie Nikolova (former ETA and MT member) started the school’s first team – back when BEST was still the Bulgarian Forensics League (BFL). After attending his first tournament and getting completely destroyed in debate, Stanimir fell in love with the energy and magic of BFL and knew he had found ‘his place’. He then went on to also compete in original oratory and duo before becoming part of BEST’s first MT intern duo alongside the incredible Vili Dimitrova. In his own words, “speech and debate changed my life and I wouldn’t be where I am today had BFL/BEST not been part of my life”. Stanimir is a firm believer in the transformative power of speech and debate and is thrilled to be part of BEST once again!
Morgan Rowe
Morgan Rowe has been involved in the debate community for over a decade. As a high school student, she competed nationally in the United States in both speech and debate events. During her time at Temple University, she helped coach students and helped run one of the largest high school tournaments in the United States, the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Morgan came to Bulgaria to teach English in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria and work on BEST's Management Team as the Tournament Policy Coordinator. She'll often tell people that BEST is THE reason she chose to teach in Bulgaria. She's currently getting her Master's degree in Political Science at the London School of Economics. Outside of BEST, Morgan is an avid reader and enjoys creating and sending cringey memes to anyone and everyone.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Alex Kieseltein
Alex Kieselstein was a two-year Fulbright ETA and BEST Coach at Second English Language School in Sofia. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Kenyon College and a Master's Degree from Middlebury College. Currently, Alex is the Academic Placement Advisor for Humanities fields at the Institute of International Education.
Lazar Lazarov
Lazar was born in Dobrich, Bulgaria, but his academics have taken him to Newcastle, England for a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, and Minneapolis, MN, USA for a Master’s in Business Administration. He currently resides in Sofia, Bulgaria and works for Konica Minolta as an Account Manager. His BEST journey started in 2013 when he competed in the second ever Bulgarian Forensics League (now BEST) tournament. After competing, he had BEST stints as an intern, MT member, Board of Directors member, Executive Director, and judge. His BEST highlights include the first ever Balkan Voices tournament in 2019 and judging at the 2018 World Schools Debating Championship on behalf of Team Bulgaria. Lazar is beyond excited to add the Board of Advisors to his BEST resume and help the MT continue to grow the organization!
Boris Busov
Boris Busov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to the United States when he was less than a year old. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he spent two years teaching English in Sliven as a Fulbright-America for Bulgaria English Teaching Assistant. In Sliven, he coached the BEST team and fell in love working with all of the talented, goofy, and passionate students in BEST. That led him to join the Management Team and then the Board of Directors. Boris serves as the current Chair of the Board of Directors, helping BEST grow and develop into the future. He also currently works for Salesforce / Tableau as a Solutions Engineer, continuing his passion for teaching and learning every day.
Christo Popov
Christo Popov is born in Communist Bulgaria and a father of three daughters. At present he is the founder and CEO of Fast Track, a cutting-edge global consulting company serving 500+ clients in 30 countries. Christo has founded over 30 companies with over 15 000 employees and has gone through three exits, two bankruptcies, and an IPO, From spending three years in the Army to prestigious roles at McKinsey and Sab Miller, he's navigated diverse terrains. Academically, he's a product of Sofia Institute of Economics, Cambridge, Harvard, and London Business School. Christo is a keen student of Eastern Philosophy, spending a transformative year in an Indian ashram. A prolific writer, his has publications in Forbes, India Times, Fortune, and more. He is a member of YPO member and Chair for learning for Europe and is also just passionate human performance, fitness, well-being, cars, and the human mind. His life is a captivating blend of entrepreneurship, resilience, and a quest for holistic well-being.
Anjela Deyanska
Anjela is passionate about making education better both in terms of improved access and quality. This and her interest in sustainability in the nonprofit sector brought her to Bulgaria after over a decade in Canada, where she obtained her degrees (Honorary Bachelor's in International Relations and a Masters in Public Policy & Governance from the University of Toronto). Since 2016 she has overseen Fundraising and Development at Teach For Bulgaria, with a specific focus on diversifying sources of private funding to the organization and increasing recurring giving as a way to contribute to organizational sustainability. Anjela believes in BEST's mission and is thrilled to support the organization's efforts so that more and more Bulgarian students can develop critical thinking skills, broaden their horizon by meeting people of diverse backgrounds and join a community of engaged citizens eager to strengthen Bulgaria's democratic future. In her spare time, you will most likely find Anjela reading nonfiction, drawing or being outside, preferably near a sea or an ocean.