Jeremy Druker
Executive director and editor in chief
jeremy.druker@tol.org

I’m one of the founders of Transitions, and have somehow run the organization since its founding way back in 1999. I came to Central Europe in the early 1990s and stayed (except for a two-year stint back home for grad school). After more than 30 years in Prague, I feel almost half-Czech, albeit still with a Brooklyn accent and a devotion to the New York Yankees baseball team. Besides my day job, I teach at the Prague campus of New York University and at the CIEE study abroad center on the impact of social media on society. I've been an Ashoka fellow since 2011. I am a graduate of Harvard (BA) and Columbia University (MA) and used to sit on the boards of the Fulbright Commission in the Czech Republic and the Czech Journalism Prizes. I was a 2023 Sulzberger Fellow at Columbia Journalism School.

Blanka Dolezalova
Financial director
blanka.dolezalova@tol.org

My first job after graduation from Prague’s University of Life Sciences was at an international think tank, the EastWest Institute, where I worked as the office manager and human resources associate. To continue my development in finance, I attended the University of Economics and Management in Prague. During my maternity leave, I had an opportunity to organize international conferences in Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, and Ukraine. I joined Transitions in 2014, where I have worked until now in charge of the financial side of the organization, as well as the coordinator of several projects.  

Tina Franko
Director of grant department
tina.franko@tol.org

I’m originally from Ljubljana, Slovenia, and I hold a degree in economics from the University of Ljubljana. My career started in business consulting, where I first encountered the world of EU funding. To further expand my knowledge of European integration, I pursued a master’s degree in European Studies in Bremen, Germany. To deepen my understanding of EU funding mechanisms, I spent two years working in the project unit of the EU Interreg Program, gaining valuable experience in cross-border cooperation. In 2007, I joined the Transitions team, drawn by the opportunity to work for an organization that makes a difference. Since then, I’ve contributed to many meaningful projects, managing grants and supporting initiatives that help advance Transitions’ mission.

Jaroslav Valuch
Project manager
jaroslav.valuch@tol.org

I lead news literacy programs at Transitions, focusing on older adults, seniors, and other marginalized groups. I have extensive experience in strategic and crisis communication. I also serve as an advisor to various organizations and institutions in media communication, using modern communication tools to reach crisis-affected populations, strengthening media literacy, and preventing hate-motivated violence. I help people navigate the current information disorder with confidence, especially when lives, health, and livelihoods are at risk. I have worked in various crises globally, helping affected populations by creatively using modern technologies. In 2010, I was a Fulbright Fellow at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

Ky Krauthamer
Senior editor
ky.krauthamer@tol.org

As the senior editor at Transitions, I edit the majority of our solutions journalism articles and also work closely with student interns. From 2002 to 2009 I edited the Transitions culture section and also helped organize reporting seminars in Bosnia and Poland. My journalism career began at The Oregonian newspaper in the USA, after a short time in book publishing. I continued in the 1990s at The Prague Post, a pioneering English-language newspaper in Central Europe. I hold a master’s degree in European Integration and Regionalism from the University of Graz, Austria.

Meenal Thakur
Solutions journalism project coordinator
meenal.thakur@tol.org

I help journalists tell stories that move past problems to progress and transform binary narratives into more nuanced perspectives. At Transitions, I work with newsrooms and freelancers across Europe, integrating solutions journalism into their work. I also focus on reporting practices that reframe conflict coverage, foster dialogue on polarizing issues, and promote community engagement to rebuild trust and address news avoidance. Previously, I worked on international journalism programs at the European Journalism Centre and supported press freedom and media resilience initiatives with Free Press Unlimited and the Dart Centre for Journalism & Trauma. My journey into journalism began in India, my homeland, where I studied journalism and went on to cover politics and policy for a national newspaper. This eventually led me to the Netherlands to study development policy, and I’ve been based in the Dutch lowlands ever since.

Lucie Cerna
Solutions journalism
lucie.cerna@tol.org

I work for Transitions as a solutions journalism trainer and mentor helping dozens of journalists to bring a solutions lens to their reporting. Before my maternity leave I led Transitions' Solutions Journalism Program in Central and Eastern Europe and coordinated activities supporting solutions-oriented reporting in more than 10 countries. I have been involved in the topic since 2017. In October 2019, I became a Solutions Journalism Network LEDE Fellow and accredited SoJo trainer. Besides Transitions, I am teaching solutions journalism at Masaryk University in Brno. Prior to joining Transitions, I worked for Ashoka and Greenpeace. I hold a master's degree in social and cultural ecology from Charles University in Prague and spent two academic years in Vienna within the Erasmus program and DAAD scholarship program. 

Sarka Truxova
Communications manager
sarka.truxova@tol.org

I am a native Czech and have been with Transitions for over two decades. In my current role, I oversee our members' network and lead international study abroad trips. Prior to joining Transitions, I served as a project manager for a government agency. I also bring extensive experience in organizing international conferences and conducting national surveys. Additionally, I have volunteered with the Czech NGO Sue Ryder, contributing to its mission and initiatives.

Katerina Lukanicova
Marketing & senior media literacy associate
katerina.lukanicova@tol.org

I am a specialist in education, media literacy, and strategic communication with over 15 years of experience across media, technology, and the nonprofit sector. My work focuses on empowering older adults through digital and media education, and I regularly train both learners and trainers. I studied media studies in Prague and business marketing in Paris, and previously worked in content development at Czech Television and in B2B marketing at the tech company Logio, where I combined UX design, data visualization, and storytelling. With international experience across the Czech Republic, France, the Philippines, and India, and certifications in corporate social responsibility, nonprofit effectiveness, and digital education, I blend strategy with clarity and purpose in projects ranging from digital guides for seniors to communication tools for NGOs – and, as a firm believer in lifelong learning, I’m currently enrolled in a secondary school jewelry-making program purely for the joy of craftsmanship.

Terezie Buriankova
Social media administrator
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The media are all around us, and I’ve always wanted to find a way to use them meaningfully. That’s why I chose to enter a media studies program at a university in Prague – I want to understand how media shape society while exploring ways to share information in an engaging and effective way. At Transitions, I have the perfect opportunity to put all of this into practice – managing social media, creating content, and learning every day how to connect with audiences more effectively. My experience in content creation extends to areas like healthy lifestyle and handmade crafts, giving me a diverse skill set to approach projects from different angles.  And if I’m not clicking the ’’post’’ button or studying for exams, you’ll probably find me with a backpack at some instagrammable spot in Europe, capturing every interesting moment.

Katerina Stiebitz
Grant officer
katerina.stiebitz@tol.org

I joined Transitions in 2010 while studying for my master’s degree in European agrarian diplomacy at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. My goal was to gain relevant work experience in a challenging, international, ideally non-profit environment, and Transitions provided the ideal opportunity that met all those criteria. What I didn’t anticipate was that it would turn into a lifelong journey. Over the years, I have contributed to various projects, briefly stepping into the private sector in 2016, before returning to the Transitions team again in 2024.