Chapter Varna

On May 12th, 2000, in Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast a new Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) was founded. The Chapter was granted Charter of Incorporation by AFCEA International on July, 24th 2000. This second Bulgarian Chapter of AFCEA pursues the objectives and abides to the principles of AFCEA International. It thus, contributes to the success of the Bulgarian military reform, as well as to the strengthening of the country's national security.

Chapter Varna has been spreading its activities throughout the Bulgarian Black Sea coastal areas. In so doing, it is mutually supporting and complementing the Bulgarian Chapter Sofia, in contributing to a wider dissemination of the ideas and activities of AFCEA throughout Bulgaria, South-East Europe and the whole of the Black Sea region. This is very much seen as a positive contribution towards peace and stability in the region.

The Chapter's Board consists of active and retired naval officers from the Bulgarian Navy HQ, from the Naval Academy, as well as representatives of the business community in Bulgaria.

Since its inception more than four years ago, AFCEA Varna Chapter has proven its value as a centre for defence and security matters, for business contacts and for personal development. It regularly holds meetings, lectures and conferences on these and other related issues, attended by many government, military, NGO and industry leaders.

Chapter Varna now has more than 45 individual members, including the Bulgarian Military Representative to NATO, the Bulgarian President's Secretary on National Defence Affairs, military diplomats from the US, UK and the Netherlands, senior military officers, as well as former senior Ministry of Defence officials.

In 2003 and 2004, the Chapter received important recognition for its consistent efforts for promoting the ideas and principles of AFCEA in Bulgaria by receiving Albert J. Myer "Special Recognition" and "Special Achievement" Awards of AFCEA International. One individual Chapter member was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of AFCEA International and became a member of the European Advisory Council of the Association, while another Chapter member was nominated as 2003 Distinguished Young AFCEAN (DYA) and the Regional DYA for the Mediterranean & Black Sea region.

12th May 2000, Varna Town Hall. After AFCEA Chapter Varna Constituent meeting. First row from right to left: Mr. Todor Tagarev, Ph.D., then Director, Defence Planning Directorate, Ministry of Defence, now Director Programmes at the Centre for National Security and Defence Research (active AFCEAN); Mr. Nikolai Bozhilov, President/CEO, Unimasters Logistics Group, just elected Vice President; RADM Peter Strantchevski, Bu N (Ret.), then just elected Chapter Varna President, now Bulgarian President's Secretary on National Defence Affairs; Captain Associate Professor Ph.D. Kosta Ivanov Bu N (Ret.), Department of Radar Systems, Naval Academy, Varna, then just elected Vice President, now President of Chapter Varna; Colonel Barry Shade, then US Defence and Air Attaché in Sofia; CDR Timothy McElhannon, then US Naval and Naval Air Attaché in Sofia.