VOC Welcomes Dr. Elida Dakoli to Board of Trustees

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is proud to announce the election of Dr. Elida Dakoli to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Dakoli is a leading voice for freedom, an educator, and a survivor of totalitarian persecution in communist Albania due to her family’s ardent belief in liberty and democracy. 
 
Following the election, VOC Board Chairman Dr. Elizabeth Edwards Spalding welcomed Dr. Elida Dakoli, saying:   

“I am pleased to announce Dr. Dakoli as a new member of VOC’s Board. She brings a lifetime of leadership, vision, and firsthand experience to the fight against communism. Dr. Dakoli is deeply committed to remembering the victims and educating all generations about the crimes of communism.”  
 
Dr. Eric Patterson, President and CEO of VOC remarked:   
 
“The addition of Dr. Elida Dakoli to VOC’s Board of Trustees marks a new era for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. I am excited to work with Dr. Dakoli to strengthen VOC’s mission and tell the important but often overlooked story of Albania’s communist oppression.”  
 
Dr. Elida Dakoli is the newest member of the Board, which is charged with governing the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an educational, research, and human rights nonprofit organization devoted to commemorating the more than 100 million people killed by communism around the world and to pursuing the freedom of those still living under totalitarian regimes.  
 
Commenting on her new role, Dr. Elida Dakoli said: 
 
“With deep gratitude, I step into a new role as a Board Trustee for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. This is more than a position; it is a responsibility to honor truth, protect freedom, and give voice to stories that must never be erased.” 

Dr. Elida Dakoli is a civic leader, cultural diplomat, academic scholar, and concert pianist whose work centers on the preservation of historical memory and the advancement of democratic values. Born in Durrës, Albania, during the final years of the communist regime, she comes from a family deeply rooted in Albania’s early democratic movement and profoundly affected by the political persecution that followed its suppression. Her great-grandfather, Hysen Myshketa, a lawyer and participant in Albania’s early state-building efforts, was killed under the communist regime. Her grandfather, Sadik Dakoli, died in the communist prison system, and his remains were never recovered. Members of her family were imprisoned and persecuted for their pro-democracy affiliations. 

She is the founder of the DFW Institute of Musical Advancement and the founder of Inspired Sounds, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to music education for underserved communities. Dr. Dakoli has performed internationally, including at Carnegie Hall and the Brahms-Saal in Vienna, and speaks on resilience, identity, and the role of the arts in shaping democratic societies. 
 
Dr. Dakoli is the author of the forthcoming memoir Beneath the Silence (Post Hill Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster, 2026), a multi-generational account of her family’s experience under communist rule and a broader reflection on freedom, resilience, and identity. 

As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, Dr. Dakoli contributes to advancing awareness of the human cost of totalitarian regimes and to ensuring that future generations understand, value, and protect freedom. 

Read VOC Trustee Dr. Elida Dakoli’s full bio here and learn more about her family’s fight for freedom in communist Albania in VOC’s Witness Project documentary.  

For press inquiries, please contact Michal Harmata at michal.harmata@victimsofcommunism.org or (202) 629-9500.