NALAS Secretariat

The NALAS Secretariat is a newly formed body of NALAS. It is based in Skopje and it is responsible for overall coordination and implementation of the activities. In line with its action plan, the NALAS Secretariat organizes task forces on specific themes important to local government in South-East Europe.

	Kelmend Zajazi, Executive Director Kelmend Zajazi heads the NALAS Secretariat as of March 2007. In the past 10 years, Zajazi worked with the USAID programs on Local Government Reforms and Democracy Network Program in Macedonia with Development Alternatives Inc. and the Institute for Sustainable Communities respectively. During 2001 – 2003, he also worked at the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office in Skopje where he supervised programs in the area of health, social welfare, etc; while in the period 2006 – 2007 he was the adviser of the Minister of Health for several projects which launched the reforms of the health sector in Macedonia. Zajazi has received his M.A. in Public Policy and Management at The University of Pittsburgh in 2005 and holds a medical degree from the Medical Faculty in Prishtine. He is the author of several publications in the area of good governance and the development of the civil society in the SEE region. His main interests are related to issues concerning institutional development, strategic planning, project cycle management, etc. kelmend_zajazi@nalas.eu
	Zoran Gligorov, IT and Knowledge Centre Manager Zoran Gligorov, also known as Cezar, cares about the information and communication technologies engaged for NALAS. He develops and deploys systems for knowledge management, coordinates the use of ICT among all projects and activities and leads the NALAS Knowledge Centre. Cezar comes from a USAID sponsored Decentralization Project in Macedonia where he led the ICT and e-Governance activities, managed development of finance and tax administration software and organized IT support for the Macedonian municipalities. zoran_gligorov@nalas.eu
	Milena Garthley, Program Officer Milena Garthley is responsible for two NALAS Task Forces - on Urban Planning and Energy Efficiency. She provides support on project management and administration, event management, collection and analysis of information. She graduated at the Moscow Academy for Fine Chemical Technology and is a registered PRINCE2 Practitioner. Before she joined our team, Milena Garthley worked as a Head of European Projects and Programmes Department for Dobrich Municipality, Bulgaria. milena_garthley@nalas.eu
	Ion Beschieru, Program Officer Ion Beschieru is in charge of the Task Forces on Fiscal Decentralization and Solid Waste Management. He is also responsible for the NALAS Quick Response program. Before coming to NALAS, Ion worked as a university teacher and as a lawyer and project manager at the National League of Associations of Mayors from Moldova. He holds a Master's degree in Law and is the author of several policy studies and publications. beschieru@nalas.eu
	Katerina Stojanovik - Aleksoska, Office Manager  Katerina Stojanovik Aleksoska facilitates the communication with the NALAS Members and takes care of all day to day office management and operations and logistic requirements for the events. Tina comes from EPRI (Economic Policy Research Institute) and Euro Balkan Institute where she was office manager and junior accountant. She has a BSc degree in management. katerina_stojanovik-aleksoska@nalas.eu
	Katerina Georgijevska, Finance Manager Katerina Georgijevska is the Finance Manager at NALAS. She maintains the accounting system, prepares financial reports and makes sure that all NALAS activities run smoothly and are timely funded. She has a degree in economics and experience in banking, accounting and financial management. katerina_georgijevska@nalas.eu