Our Team

Secretary General

Laura Miguel Baumann

Laura is managing the ECA Secretariat.   For more than 15 years, she has been managing projects to strengthen and improve the competitiveness of the craft sector, to promote design in the craft sector, as well as promotion and enhancement. She has been part of juries for awards and recognitions to the craft sector and has been in charge of numerous exhibitions.

Administration Manager

Julie Huckle

Julie joined ECA as Administration manager in 2022. A long career of providing the support networks that help others to thrive has provided Julie with many varied and interesting opportunities. A lifelong advocate of an environmentally friendly, sustainable existence, she balances her work life with a passion for wide open spaces and all things cultural. When she can find the time, Julie makes patchwork quilts.

Communications Manager

Ana Kuntarič Brodersen

Ana is a communications manager and facilitator with deep roots in Europe’s creative sectors. Her background in dramaturgy gives her a unique approach to her work, with a focus on crafting clear narratives and fostering genuine dialogue. For over twenty years, she has operated at the intersection of design, architecture, and crafts. At ECA, her role is to weave together the diverse stories from our network, creating an engaging conversation between the craft community and the wider world.

Ana Cristina Mendes

President

Ana Cristina Mendes has been with CEARTE – Professional Training Center for Crafts and Heritage since 1991 in the Training Department and as a Legal Advisor. She became Deputy Director of CEARTE in 2018 and was the general coordinator of the Vocational training department since 1998. She has extensive experience in the preparation of training projects for applications for European Programs and the coordination and monitoring of transnational training projects.

Elton Micallef

Vice-President

Elton Micallef is the CEO of the Malta Crafts Foundation. His work with the foundation has resulted in better awareness and promotion of the sector, improved collaboration with all involved entities in the creative sector and better training opportunities for artisans.

David Places Balsalobre

Board Member

David Places Balsalobre is a seasoned professional in the development, growth, and exploration of crafts, art, design and local cultures and is the Head of Crafts of Catalonia for the Catalan Crafts Council in Barcelona. David has developed and implemented a powerful cultural program to highlight the synergies between craftsmanship, design, and contemporary art.

Maka Dvalishvili is an art historian and the founder of the Georgian Arts and Culture Center (GACC), where she has led the crafts development programme for over 30 years. She has directed numerous international projects to strengthen the sector, including the first comprehensive study of crafts in Georgia. Maka represents Europa Nostra operations in Georgia, leads GACC activities related to the Forum of NGOs accredited to the UNESCO ICH Convention, and is a member of ICOM and ICOMOS. She is also a founder of the Tbilisi First International Summit of Crafts and Design “EthnoFest”, Georgian Heritage Crafts Association, and the Social Enterprise Istoriali.