New Heads of RUE in Four Regions
The school year is starting with new leaders in four regional directorates of education (RUE). Following competitive exams held at the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), new heads have been chosen for Sofia City, Pernik, Veliko Tarnovo, and Burgas. This was announced by the press center of the ministry, which brought an end to the prolonged process of staff selection.
Dr. Eleonora Lilova is the New Head of RUE-Sofia City
In the capital, the head of RUE-Sofia City is now Dr. Eleonora Lilova. She is a well-known name in educational circles, having previously been the director of the 2nd Secondary School (SS) "Akad. Emiliyan Stanev". Her professional career also includes leadership positions outside the field of school education — from 2018 to 2022, Lilova was the chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection. Before that, she was again the director of the 2nd SS "Akad. Emiliyan Stanev", as well as the 52nd Primary School (PS) "Tsanko Tserkovski". Before joining the leadership ranks, she taught as a teacher in several schools in the capital. The nominated Lilova will replace Dr. Vanya Kastrevа, the current head of the capital's educational inspectorate.
The selection of the new head of RUE-Sofia City comes a week after the candidates admitted to the competition were announced. According to information released by RUE-Sofia City on their official website, there were five candidates whom the commission, appointed by an order of the Minister of Education and Science on July 29, 2025, decided to admit to the final race. Among them were Klara Arabadzhieva, Vyara Bogateva, Filip Filipov, and Vera Vlahova, with Eleonora Lilova emerging as the winner.
Yuliana Serafimova, Zdravka Mincheva, and Valentina Kamalieva Head RUEs in Pernik, V. Tarnovo, and Burgas
Yuliana Serafimova has been appointed as the head of RUE-Pernik. Since 2015, she has been leading the department of "Education, Culture, and Youth Activities" in the Pernik municipality. Before that, she was the director of the Vocational High School of Economics and the deputy director of the Vocational High School of Clothing and Tourism in the mining town. At the start of her career, she also worked as a teacher and educator.
Zdravka Mincheva has been chosen as the head of the Regional Directorate of Education in Veliko Tarnovo. Her experience in the system is significant — she has worked at the local RUE since 2007 as a senior expert in mathematics. Before that, she held the position of assistant director at the Humanities High School "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" in Veliko Tarnovo. As a teacher of mathematics and informatics, she has built a solid foundation in her academic career.
The leadership of RUE-Burgas has been entrusted to Valentina Kamalieva. She was acting in the position temporarily but has been officially confirmed after a competitive exam. Her experience in managing the educational system has been built gradually — before this, she was a senior expert in the organization of secondary education and in social sciences, civic education, and religion at the local RUE. Before joining the administration, she also worked as a history and civilization teacher.
This concludes an important stage in the staff changes in the educational system, as the new leaders will be tasked with continuing the work of ensuring quality education in the regions entrusted to them.