Our goal is to bring Czech and Slovak communities together, find a permanent place where we can meet, help each other, exchange information, organize cultural events including performances with artists from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, etc.
Our Association was established in March 2004 by three founders: Estera Mlch, Renata Dutton, and Maria Grantham. It was the year when the Czech Republic and Slovakia became members of the European Union and Boston Red Sox became the World Champions.
We are a non-profit organization with 501 (c) (3) status. We are qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devices, transfers or gifts. Contributions to us are tax deductible under section 170 of the Code. You can view our 990 Form at www.guidestar.org.
We have since prepared a number of cultural, social, sport, and educational events to promote and preserve our Czech and Slovak heritage and to introduce it to the American public in the New England area.
We have organized concerts and performances of musicians, actors and writers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They included the legendary three-generational band Olympic from the Czech Republic, Čechomor, Lenka Filipova, Václav Neckař, Ivan Mladek and the Banjo Band, Elvis Presley Revival Band, Petr Kotvald, comic-book author, illustrator, and artist, Lucie Lomová, or writer, theater director, actress, and musician, Marka Míková.
Plastic People of Universe played an important role in Tom Stoppard’s Rock’n’Roll that was shown in Boston, San Francisco, New York City’s Broadway, as well as in Prague and London.
Actors such as Jirina Bohdalova, Martin Dejdar, Ludek Sobota, Miroslav Donutil were phenomenal.
From Slovakia, it was Miroslav Žbirka, Peter Nagy, Misha, Bystrik, Maduar, Peter Lipa, Gypsy Devils Orchestra, Piarissimo. They all brought something special and unforgettable to our audience.
We have also been hosting and supporting young talented musicians from our homelands, including violinist Jakub Třasák, pianist Jiři Nedoma, jazz singer and voice couch, Mirka Novák, folklore-rock band Iconito, and jazz musician, composer and educator, Ester Wiesnerová.
The ethnic atmosphere of the Harvest Fest with a traditional folk band Pajtáši is our most popular annual event. For our youngest members The Family Day with games and sport activities in the Hopkinton State Park, May Day (Majáles), as well as the celebration of St. Nicolas Day, are in high attendance and demand. Children can also participate in our contest featuring traditional folk songs.
One of our goals is to enable the children in our community to learn and stay connected with Czech and Slovak languages and traditions. Our Czech School of T.G. Masaryk and Slovak School of M.R. Štefánik both offer classes to our young ones every other Saturday throughout the school year.
We have organized or co-organized truly forever inspirational exhibits such as Jozef Gertli Danglar, Magic Number 8 in the History of Slovakia, Eugen Suchoň–100th Anniversary, 20 years of Slovakia, Cyril and Methodius 1150th anniversary, or exhibits honoring important figures from our history, like T.G. Masaryk, Ján A. Baťa, Milan R. Štefánik, Móric Beňovský.
We are continuing with the series of 30-minute documentaries “Countrymen”. In 2007 and 2008 we successfully produced and aired the live Czech and Slovak Community show at BNN TV Boston. Many interviews can still be viewed on our website.
In addition, we provided many networking opportunities throughout the years.
The Czech and Slovak Association, Inc. is an all-volunteer, charity organization. Therefore, all administrative costs have been donated or underwritten.
Estera Mlch
Co-founder and president of the Czech and Slovak Association, Inc. She is involved with development marketing and operations as well as grant writing, fundraising and finances of the community based association. Organizing concerts and performances of the artists from Czech Republic and Slovakia, gala balls and producing and hosting community programming on BNN TV was an honor but also a great responsibility.
Estera graduated from the Technical University, Slovakia, Faculty of mechanical engineering with the major in Economics and management of machine productions. She continued her studies at Harvard extension school and Norheastern University. Estera works as the property manager and is involved with all aspects of real estate operation.
Estera speaks multiple languages and loves to travel around the world. She played handball (hadzana) and is a big fan of Boston sports particularly Boston Bruins, etc. Ester is one of the great grand-daughter of Moric Benovsky, national hero in Slovakia, Hungary and Poland and devoted wife.
Renata Dutton
Co-founded the Czech and Slovak Association with Estera Mlch and Marika Grantham in 2004. Her role as a Board Director and a Treasurer allows her to get involved with all projects and activities. Her very first tasks included the website creation and development, which allowed the organization to reach wider community and start organizing events. Renata helps with all events, manages some parts of fundraising and oversees the financial aspects of the association.
Renata is employed as a Director of a Czech company, Kentico Software LLC, based in Bedford NH. She is able to utilize her MBA degree in International Business and her language Renata (together, finance, administration, and HR skills. In her free time, she loves to garden, ski, travel, and walk with her dogs. She spends time with her husband and two daughters as much as her busy life allows.
Liana Petranin-Maloof
Liana is a Director and Secretary of the Czech and Slovak Association, Inc. (“Association”). Liana has served in this volunteer position since 2006. In her role, she coordinates a number of cultural, social and educational events to promote and preserve the Czech and Slovak heritage as well as to introduce the culture to the public in the New England area. Liana is also responsible for resolving administrative and operational issues of the Association.
In her day-to-day life, Liana has worked for two Boston-based investment management firms, Natixis Investment Managers and Wellington Management, and has over 18 years of experience in the investment management industry. She has been highly successful in a number of roles including marketing, client and consultant relationship management. Liana also works as a Freelance Interpreter and Translator where she is responsible for understating and translating spoken or written statements from Czech and Slovak to English.
Liana received her MBA from School of Management of Simmons College, and a BA, magna cum laude, in Business Administration from Boston College. In her free time, Liana enjoys traveling, skiing and spending time with her family.
Dominika Cervenova Glueck
Dominika was born and raised in Slovakia. She grew up in Dubnica nad Váhom and studied at Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. She fell in love with the city and had lived there for 7 years. There she also met her American husband and in 2017 she moved to Charleston, SC to follow her heart.
After relocating to Boston in 2018, discovering the Czech and Slovak community here helped Dominika greatly with her adjustment to the new environment and culture. Gradually, she became involved in organizing regular community meetups and in 2022 she joined the Association’s Board of Directors.
Dominika is an entrepreneur and IT professional, passionate about building new relationships and community.
Benjamin Malec
Benjamin was born in Kezmarok, Slovakia and grew up in NYC where he studied mechanical engineering at Columbia University. He moved to Boston in 2014 to work as an engineer at Applied Material and joined CZSK shortly after.
Despite leaving at a young age, Ben maintains strong ties to Slovakia and the Czech Republic and visits his family and friends several times a year. Ben is also heavily involved in the Catholic Church. In 2018, he was invited to join the Order Of Malta. In February 2022, Ben made it to the border of Slovakia and Ukraine to help set up the refugee camp and help refugees find a place to live.
Jan Horvath
Jan joined the Board of Directors in 2006. He was involved with cultural, educational events for Masaryk club as well and he held there the position of president for one term. He is the graduate from College of Transportation Engineering in Zilina with MSEE. He worked as the consultant engineer at Ministry of transportation in Bratislava in Slovakia. In the USA, Jan had worked as the principal test engineer for integrated circuits with Digital Co. and Wang Co. for more than forty years. Also he worked as the Network administrator for AG&G. Since 2015 Jan is an interpreter for Mass Trial Courts and Realtor with Keller-Williams.
He is the Champion of Slovakia and holder of Slovak record in pole vaulting from 1964–1967.
Veronika Wills
Joined Board of directors in 2023.
Jan Trnovsky
Jan is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Czech and Slovak Association Inc, Boston MA since 2005. He is mainly involved in preserving and promoting Slovak heritage and folklore traditions in community of Czechs and Slovaks living in the greater Boston area. He is promoting and organizing Harvest Fest Festival (Dozinkova zabava), the most popular event in our community. Folk music for dance and singing is provided each year by traditional folk band (cimbalovka). “Pajtasi” from New York.
Jan was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. He graduated from Technical University, Faculty of Chemical Engineering (Bratislava). He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Slovak Academy of Sciences (Institute of Molecular Biology , Bratislava). After postdoctoral studies (Austria and USA) Jan was employed in various Biotech companies mostly in greater Boston area. Jan is currently retired and enjoying closer contacts with his four grandchildren. Jan’s greatest love now is playing Slovak-cherished flute fujara. He learned to play this musical instrument by himself. Ability to play fujara allowed him to participate in numerous fujara international festivals in Slovakia and provide play-opinion interview for Slovak TV in “Kapura” session. Since there is an interest to learn fujara playing in younger members of our community, there is a hope that we can keep this tradition in our new country.
Dagmar Kucera
Dagmar has been actively involved with every cultural and social event since her day one. She contributes to our organization in many ways from hosting performers in her house to baking souvenir hearts at our Gala Ball. Her help and personal touch makes our events even more special.
Dagmar was an owner of a Family childcare business for many years. She also helped her husband Zdenek in his Eastcoast Security business whenever she could. She is now enjoying the well deserved retirement and spends her free time traveling around the world. Besides traveling she enjoys gardening, baking, cooking, and crafts.
Petr Chovanec
Petr has been involved in Czech and Slovak cultural life in Boston for over a decade and is an active member of the Association’s Board of Advisors.
Petr currently works in capital management for the largest Swiss bank, UBS. He is also a lecturer at Columbia University where he teaches a graduate course on risk management. He is an alumnus of universities on both sides of the Atlantic, one from the Czech Republic and one from the US.