Our Team

Andrej Steiner, PhD.
Is a co-founder of the Carpathian Development Institute and since its inception in 2004 also its director. He is an expert on strategic issues concerning the comprehensive development of territories in the creation of legislative, institutional and policy framework, governance, planning and mechanisms for implementation of development plans. He has deep theoretical and practical experience in the incorporation of environmental considerations into the public authorities’ decision-making process. His experiences have been gained at the international level, where he worked several years for the United Nations as the principal adviser on Europe and the former Soviet Union countries in the field of environmental governance, and also as director of the environmental program for the American Peace Corps in Slovakia and consultant to the European Commission. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 publications and lectures in national and international fora.

Alena Kozlayova, Programme Specialist
In years 2001-2006 she studied at the Faculty of Economics in Kosice. Since July 2006 she has been working at CDI. Her theoretical and practical knowledge are being applied in the context of regional development and particularly in the preparation of development plans for regions and cities and in the creation and management of development projects. She is one of the authors of publication Good governance of regional development - challenge for the Slovak Republic. She co-authored training materials for regional and local self-government, for school management in financial planning, as well as concerning development audits. She has also co-authored several expert papers and presentations related to good governance of development and integrated planning. At present, she is also addressing the issue of including climate change in the considerations on development and the decision-making of territorial self-governments.

Erika Lepenova, Programme Manager
Graduated from the Faculty of Economics, Technical University of Kosice. She has been working at the Carpathian Development Institute since July 2007 as a programme manager. She is mainly addressing the creation of integrated development plans related to regional development, processing development audits, cross-border cooperation and its application to regional development, elaboration of project proposals, project management and fundraising. She is one of the authors of the professional publications Audit of preparedness for development in the region comprised of the districts: Humenne, Medzilaborce, Michalovce, Sobrance, Snina, Stropkov, Trebisov,VranovnadToplou; of several technical papers and as co-author of educational materials for school management in the area of financial planning and business.

Michal Schvalb, Programme Analyst
Studied political science at the Faculty of Arts, University of Presov. He has been working at the Carpathian Development Institute since July 2007. He is currently working in the position of programme analyst, whose responsibilities consist mainly of analysis and research on topics Integrated planning of the territory development and Good governance of development at the local and regional level. He is one of the authors of the professional publication Audit of preparedness for development in the border region Slovakia-Ukraine and several professional articles. His current interest is mainly cooperation with professional organizations in the Eastern Serbia, where the Carpathian Development Institute has shared its experience in setting up processes and mechanisms related to development of the territory.

Ladislav Hegyi, Project Manager
Has been working for the CDI since November 2009. He is focused mainly on environmental aspects of development, elaboration of projects, studies, strategies and expert reviews in the field of environment and development. Currently, he is addressing topics climate change and the activities of public administration, as well as waste management. Between 1992 and 1996 he helped found and develop the activities of the first national animal protection organizations "Freedom of Animals", for which he acted as spokesman, as fundraiser and leader of several projects. In 1996 he founded the NGO "Friends of the Earth" in which he served as chairman until 2009. He has been working and succeeded to promote systemic changes in legislation leading to a reduction of environment pollution, he helped end 10 projects of poor waste management and develop separate rubbish collection in towns and villages across Slovakia. He received the prestigious stipend from the Ashoka international organization, which supports social innovators. Between years 2007 – 2009 he also served as an advisor to the Minister of environment of the Czech Republic on waste management. He is the author and co-author of nearly two dozen professional publications. He is completing his education with a second degree with studies at the Technical University of Kosice.

StanislavaMichalkova, Project Manager
In 2010 she graduated from the University of Presov in Presov in Tourism and hotel management. She experienced graduate practise in the Organizational department and the Department of city development of the City office of Spisska Nova Ves. As a project manager, she is member of the Carpathian Development Institute’s internal team, since April 2011. She is participating on CDI fundraising and international projects focused mainly on tourism.

Barbara Solteszova, Financial Manager
After graduating in Management and Marketing from the University of Economics in Bratislava in 1998, she has operated in a non-profit sector in the position of accountant/financial manager. She has experience with bookkeeping of non-profit organizations, project accounting and financial management of projects supported by the European Union and other international sources. Since 2005 she participated in the preparation and implementation of dozens of international projects in the area of financial management, budget preparation and reporting of financial resources provided. She has been working at the CDI since October 2009.