The Team

Who are we?

The Kogayon Association team has been working for over 20 years in the Oltenia area under the mountains, for the development and future of this region. We have contributed decisively to the founding of the Buila-Vânturarița National Park and its management. We have increased the brand Oltenia de sub Munte and transformed the region into a tourist destination. We have carried out dozens of projects for the conservation of local natural and cultural values, education, promotion, research, development and maintenance of tourist infrastructure.

What do we want?

Our goal is to reform Oltenia de sub Munte into a model for the development of a region, based on the promotion and enhancement of the local natural and cultural heritage, for the benefit of local communities and visitors to the area.

The management team of the Oltenia de sub Munte Geopark is the following:

Florin Stoican - Geopark Director, geoconservation specialist

He brings over 20 years of experience in geodiversity and biodiversity conservation to the table. A geologist by profession, he excels in the management of protected natural areas and the preservation of natural resources. Additionally, he serves as the president of both the Kogayon and Văcărești Natural Park associations, which were instrumental in establishing the Buila-Vânturarița National Park and the Văcărești Natural Park respectively. Florin has played a significant role in the management of these parks

Nicoleta Marin - Specialist in Education through nature interaction

She works in environmental management and nature conservation for over 15 years. She is a geographer, interested in exploring methods to bring nature closer to people to create harmony in cohabitation. Nicoleta is also program coordinator in the Văcărești Nature Park Association and the Kogayon Association.

Monica Popescu - Biodiversity Specialist

She has over 15 years of experience in biodiversity conservation and protected natural areas management. As a biologist, she is responsible for the implementation of inventory, monitoring and mapping activities of flora, fauna and habitats within the Buila-Vânturarița National Park Administration and program coordinator in the Kogayon Association.

Cristi Pitulice - Tourism Specialist

He comes with more than 20 years of experience in the tourism industry. He has graduated from two tourism faculties and now provides consultancy in this field. For five years he has been publishing articles and tourism analyses in the main tourism magazines in Romania. You can find him on vinland.ro. Cristi is as a well the program coordinator in the Kogayon Association.

Laurențiu Bălintescu - Specialist in Local Communities

A pharmacist and vice-president of the Vâlcea College of Pharmacists, Laurențiu is not only well-versed in pharmaceutical matters but also serves as a ski instructor, mountain guide, and professional trainer with expertise in RBPF. Additionally, he plays a vital role as the program coordinator within the Kogayon Association.

Claudia Blagu - GIS mapping specialist

She has over 15 years of experience in cartography, GIS and information systems. She has worked in various fields such as environmental protection, agriculture, natural resources management, renewable energy, with national and international exposure. She is currently a GIS mentor for several international organisations and volunteers using geospatial data in biodiversity conservation.

Gabriela Poiana – Program coordinator

A communication specialist and the coordinator of the international project Bioregional Weaving Lab, Gabriela boasts over 5 years of expertise in communication within the non-governmental sector and environmental projects. Her academic background includes studies in ecology and visual anthropology, and she currently leverages her knowledge to document the vibrant narratives of local communities in the region.

Simina Sîrbu – PR and Communication specialist

A graduate of Intercultural and Interreligious Communication in the UNESCO Department-Chair, she has experience working in advertising agencies and in freelance scriptwriting and copywriting projects for various industries. She is passionate about landscape photography and has participated in an international nature park project in Lithuania.

Nicoleta Neacșu - Financial Specialist

With extensive experience in Business Consulting and Finance, both in non-governmental organizations and in the private sector, Nicoleta combines a passion for environmental protection with expertise in analyzing numbers. The multiple courses she has completed and certificates are further proof of her commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

The extended team

As we would like to involve local communities and stakeholders as much as possible in the activities and projects of the geopark, including at the decision-making level, in October 2023 we set up the Management Board of the Oltenia de sub Munte Geopark, to which we invited almost 100 local stakeholders.

We are pleased that all categories of stakeholders are represented in the Management Board, from authorities, administration, entrepreneurs, educational institutions and civil society.

Those who have accepted the invitation in due time are now part of the first Board, but we are open to others who want to participate and contribute:

National Agency for Protected Natural Areas Valcea
Buila-Vânturarița National Park Administration
Environmental Protection Agency Vâlcea
Bărbătești Primary School
Valcea County Library
Băile Olănești Town Hall
Archdiocese of Râmnic
Arnota Monastery
Pension Arnota (Costești)
Vatra Inn (Costești)
Maldăr's Mansion (Măldărești)
Normandia Transport (Horezu)
National Organization of Romanian Scouts - Local Centre Mircea cel Bătrân Râmnicu Vâlcea
Sport without Limits Association Rm. Vâlcea
Studiogovora Association (Băile Govora)

Founded on October 30, 2023, the Management Board is part of the management structure of the geopark, operates on a voluntary basis, meets annually or whenever necessary.

The role of the Management Board entails:

To provide the framework for mutual information between stakeholders, communities and the geopark management team on geopark activities and common interests.
Provide a framework for dialogue for cooperation, partnerships, projects and activities in partnership with the geopark management team or between council members and other partners.
Participate in the development and implementation of strategies, plans, programmes and projects proposed/initiated by the geopark management team or members.
Involvement in decision-making on the elaboration and execution of strategies, plans, programmes and projects proposed/initiated by the geopark management team.
Working together to identify social, economic, cultural, educational and environmental problems and needs of the communities and finding solutions to them.

The Scientific Council of the Geopark - we also have this council, tasked with scientific supervision. The council comprises researchers with significant results and experience, as well as a deep understanding of the geopark territory:

Cristian Lascu - Speleologist, explorer, and conservationist; former Chief Editor of National Geographic Romania
Iuliana Lazar - Paleontologist, University of Bucharest
Magdalena Popescu - Biologist, Buila-Vanturarita National Park Administration
George Pleș - Paleontologist, University of Cluj
Eugen Vaida - Architect, Romanian Order of Architects
Marius Stoica - Micropaleontologist, University of Bucharest
Irina Leca - Art historian and cultural manager, StudioGovora
Alexandru Andrășanu - Geologist, UNESCO Geoparks expert, University of Bucharest
Florin Stoican - Geologist, Ashoka Fellow, Kogayon Association, Urban Nature Network