Expert in local development in rural and fisheries areas, with over 30 years of experience in programme and project management, capacity building, networking, analysis and evaluation at national and EU levels.
A graduate of the University of Warsaw (PL) and University of Bristol (UK), she has worked in the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the Polish Council of Ministers. In the period 1991-2009 she was Director of the Rural Development Bureau at the Cooperation Fund in Poland, managing EU-funded projects and programmes totalling over €70 million. As one of the founders and board member of the Polish Rural Forum, she has initiated and managed activities related to the preparation and implementation of the LEADER approach in Poland. She also coordinated two pioneering projects concerning environmental and climate awareness in Polish rural areas.
She has done extensive consultancy work in the area of LEADER and Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), rural civil society development and participation, evaluation, entrepreneurship and social economy. From June 2009 till December 2021 she was Senior Local Development Expert in the FARNET Support Unit (and since January 2021 Deputy Team Leader). From 2014 till 2016 she was the key expert in charge of LEADER at the Contact Point of the European Network for Rural Development. Since January 2022 she is Senior Local Development Expert in FAMENET (the Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring, Evaluation and Local Support Network). She is also president of LDnet, a European network of professionals dealing with local development in urban, rural and coastal contexts.