Kremena is a Director of the English Language and Culture Institute (ELCI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). In addition to her full-time job as an administrator, she teaches a couple of classes in order to stay connected to students and expand her perspective when working with instructors on her team. A few times each year, she travels the world on behalf of the program and UMD to promote cooperative internationalization efforts.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Applied Linguistics and Prelaw, and a Master of Arts in Teaching TESOL. Before becoming a Director of ELCI, Kremena was an ESL Instructor at the secondary and college levels. Currently, Kremena serves on the Study Minnesota Board whose mission is to support international educational engagement among its 45 member schools (universities, community colleges, high schools, and language programs). Kremena also serves on the Duluth Sister Cities International Board whose mission of building bridges to global understanding strongly aligns with her vision. Kremena speaks Bulgarian, Russian, and Serbian. Kremena and her family regularly host international students and see great benefits in these cultural and social exchanges. In her spare time, Kremena enjoys reading, biking, walking on the beach, working in her art studio, and other creative activities that involve her family.