Suela Bala is an international development professional with 17 years of experience leading initiatives in economic growth, youth development, entrepreneurship, financial education, child rights, and governance across the Western Balkans, East Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining the San Diego Diplomacy Council, Suela served as an Economic Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, where she oversaw high-visibility federal grant portfolios, coordinated interagency initiatives, and advanced U.S. economic and public diplomacy priorities through engagement with government, private sector, and civil society. Previously, she was the CEO of Junior Achievement of Albania, where she transformed a small nonprofit startup into the country’s largest platform for youth entrepreneurship and financial education. She also held leadership roles with Save the Children International in Albania, guiding strategic positioning, multi-sector program development, monitoring and evaluation, and resource mobilization.
Suela holds a degree in physics education from Middle East Technical University in Turkey and a graduate certificate in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University in Australia. A native of Albania, she contributes to San Diego’s civic life through her board and volunteer service at the Vision Museum of Textile Art of San Diego and the La Jolla Center for Pacific Strategy. She believes in the quiet, enduring power of diplomacy built through genuine people-to-people ties that outlast policies and help communities and countries thrive.
