2023 Summit Leadership Council

The 2023 Summit Leadership Council of the Romanian Community is a group of dedicated and influential individuals who play a key role in organizing and overseeing the annual Romanian Community Summit. Comprised of community leaders from various organizations, businesses, and religious groups, the Leadership Council is committed to promoting the interests and well-being of the Romanian community in Chicago. The Council works closely with the Romanian Community Foundation and other partners to plan and execute the summit, ensuring that it is a meaningful and impactful event for all who attend. Through their leadership and collaboration, the Leadership Council is helping to build a stronger and more connected Romanian community in Chicago.

Roxana Iacob

Member 
Supporter of RoCo
Cristina Haidau

Member 
Volunteer, ROCO Edu, Supporter of ROCO
Volunteer 
Oana Dobrean - Urzica

Founding Angel 
Founding Angel, ROCO Ambassador , Supporter of ROCO, ROCO Communications Lead
Volunteer  Teacher 
Oana has been one of the biggest believers in ROCO since the very beginning and one of the most active volunteers. She believes in the strength of our community, in volunteering, doing good, and leaving something worth while behind.
 
Codrut Birsan

Member 
Founder: Chicago Summer Opera, Founder: Chicago Community Council, RCCC Ambassador
Romanian music will always remind us, Romanians, where we came from and who we are. That's why we need a Romanian Community Center of Chicago. That's why I am an Ambassador of the Romanian Community Center of Chicago. That's why "I'm in!"
 
Diana Dram

Founding Angel 
ROCO Biz
Founding Angel and ROCO Business Chapter Lead
Diana is acting as Global Strategic Sourcing Director with McDonald’s. She leads business relationships and strategies that leverage scale for positive impact on the environment and communities globally.
 
Marius Stan

Member 
Board of Directors 
Scientist, Author and Actor
Volunteer 
Marius is internationally recognized as one of the founders of computer simulation of complex phenomena. He was Principal Investigator at the Argonne Laboratory and an Associate Professor at the Univ. of Chicago and Northwestern University.
 
Mihai Lehene

Founding Angel 
Board of Directors 
Founder of RUF. President of FORA.
Founder  Volunteer (full)  Teacher 
Mihai is the Owner of MDL Investments, a real-estate and VC family-office with a focus on emerging technologies, including fintech, biotech and crypto. In 2020 Mihai resigned his business roles to run RUF, and in 2022 he was elected as President of FORA.
twitter.com/mlehene
 
Benjamin Vaduva

Territory Manager at Precept Marketing Group
Marcel Somfelean

Member 
Founder of ROMOTANA; Founder of Romanian American Heritage Center
Cosmin Dandoci

Founder, Intercultural Center of Diversity and Inclusion (ILO)
Paula Telcian

Member 
ROCO Chicago: Community Outreach Liaison
Volunteer 
A dedicated leader that volunteers through her church and Romanian Community in Chicago. Passionate about teaching her culture, traditions, and faith to children and youth, organizes various social, cultural, and religious events in the community.
 
Steven Bonica

Member 
Founder and President, Romanian Tribune Media Group
Enriching lives, connecting people, strengthening relationships in the Romanian-American communities since 1984.
www.ro-am.net
 
Florin Pricop

Member 
Volunteer 
As a consultant, Florin is specialized in LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT and SALES. During his career he received his Executive Management from University of Notre Dame, helped many small companies or Nonprofit Organizations SCALE IT UP.
priehlgroup.com
 
Cristian Luput

Founding Angel 
Board of Directors 
Founder & CEO, Optimus Realty
The founder and CEO of Optimus Realty Inc, Cristian strongly believes in the power of charity to improve people's lives and change the mentalities and hopes of the less fortunate ones. Cristian is acting Treasurer of RUF.
 
Mihaela Campion

Member 
Founder, Psychotherapy and Transformational Movement and ARCHER
Mihaela is the founder of the Psychotherapy and Transformational Movement with over twenty-two years of clinical experience. She received an MA in Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, specializing in Counseling Psychology.
revivaltherapy.com/about/about-mihaela-campion
Stefan Cristoltean

Member 
Founder, Cenaclu Retro
Dan Nicolae

Board of Directors 
Vice President of Romanian United Fund
Dan Nicolae is the Vice President of Romanian United Fund. He also serves as Chair of Statistics at the University of Chicago and Professor, Departments of Statistics, Human Genetics and Medicine.
stat.uchicago.edu/people/profile/dan-nicolae