AFRICA

South Africa

Sharon Landey held various teaching posts in Johannesburg and in London from 1969 to 1992.  While living in London, Sharon also worked as a couples therapist. Since returning to Johannesburg she has been a Consultant to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, assisting them to develop a strategy for a safer South Africa. She has a Teacher's Diploma with Distinction from Johannesburg College of Education.

ASIA PACIFIC

Australia

Sydney
Anne Stedman taught in schools in Australia for many years. She also has worked in university administration.Anne lived in London for several years and in New York, and was a consultant for School Choice International in both locations. During her relocations and repatriation, Anne experienced the process of choosing schools for her own daughter.  Anne is a trained early childhood educator.

China

Hong Kong
Jennifer Bochnik has relocated with her children many times and has lived in Phoenix, New York, Toronto, Singapore, and Hong Kong where she has been for the past five years.  Jennifer is an active participant in her children’s International School governing structure.  She previously worked for the University of Phoenix where she was responsible for structuring training programs, workshops and seminars.  She holds a BS in marketing from Arizona State University and an MA in Organizational management from the University of Phoenix.

Liesbeth Briers (Liz) is an experienced teacher and art therapist, with her BA and MA in Art History from Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a post graduate in Arts and & Health Project Management from the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom).  Currently she volunteers as a Project Consultant at a center for adults with learning disabilities in Hong Kong. In addition she is a freelance NET teacher of all ages for different schools throughout Hong Kong, setting up lesson plans as well as delivering them. She is fluent in English and Dutch, with good working knowledge of French and German. 

Taiwan

Jennifer Coye worked in publishing at Simon andand Schuster and at Macmillan for ten years and is the co-author of "Once Upon a Heroine: 450 Books for Girls to Love." She was an editorial consultant on children's books for the catalog "A Common Reader" and currently is a docent at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. She has a Bachelor’s in English from Occidental College.

India

Bangalore
Palli Mavani moved from Mumbai to Bangalore in 2000. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Bombay University and two years of Law School.  She has assisted many expatriates with settling in in Bangalore and had the opportunity to conduct an extensive personal school search.

Millie Mitra taught Geography and Social Studies at a leading girls school in Mumbai. She also helped design the curriculum for an NGO program that involves the education of street children in Mumbai. In addition, she provided the content for a CD ROM that schools used to prepare students in Geography for the Indian Certificate and Secondary Examination. She has also lived in Sri Lanka where she taught for two years at the international school. Millie graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics followed by a Bachelor’s in Education from Bombay University.

Chennai
Sanjeevi Arul Joseph, born and educated in the southern state of Tamilnadu, India, was an English lecturer at the Madras Presidency College until 1981. Later, he was hired by the Government of Brunei as a secondary and tertiary teacher of English.  There, Sanjeevi gathered diverse experiences including relocating Brunei Shell expatriate staff. In 2004 he moved to the United States where he did graduate studies in Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His academic qualifications and rich multicultural experience gained him a teaching position at the prestigious Heritage Christian School at Hillsboro in Oregon.

Mumbai
Lisa Scadron, a native of Tucson, Arizona, attended boarding school in Southern India at the age of ten.  The experience proved to be a pivotal one, leading, ultimately, to her recent relocation from the United States to India.  Lisa graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and works as an artist and consultant on a variety of education related projects.
 
Viral Doshi has been involved in the field of education and career guidance for over twenty four years. Having lived between New York, London and Mumbai for half his life, he relocated to Mumbai in 1997. Viral is an educational advisor to various schools and colleges in India and regularly organizes career fairs and career talks for students. Viral holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in Operations Research in Industrial Engineering.

New Delhi
Vicky Singh was born in London to Indian parents and  raised in New York. She has lived in London, Sydney and New Delhi, and so has had first hand experience of relocation with children and creating a home away from home.  Vicky received bachelors Degree from Long Island University, in Marketing and Management. Later, she pursued a Master’s degree from Macquarie University, Australia, in International Business. She speaks Hindi, Punjabi and some Spanish. Vicky most recently has worked at FOCUS Information Services in London, a resource for international professionals and their families as they transition through their move to London.

Japan

Nagoya
Jeff Singal has been actively involved in the fields of international education and special education in the US and Japan for over fifteen years. He is currently teaching English at a private junior and senior high school in Nagoya, as well as business English classes at a local company. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Hofstra University, and both a Master’s in Intercultural Management with a focus in International Education and TESOL certification from the School for International Training.

Tokyo
Marion Yanase is a long-term resident of Japan who, until recently, taught at the International School of the Sacred Heart as the Computer Coordinator/HOD.  She was also the Faculty representative/liaison for the Friends of ISSH-Tennis Circle at the school.  While at Sacred Heart, she served on various committees including the Steering Board Committee for the school’s accreditation with ECIS and WASC.  Marion is still an active board member of the Japanese affiliate of ASCD (Association of Supervisory and Curriculum Development) based in Alexandria, VA.  In addition to her work with School Choice International, she holds a part time position of Events, Fund-raising and Communications Coordinator for TELL Japan, Telephone English Life Line, an NPO providing mental health care for the English-speaking community in Japan.

Singapore

Thailand

Bangkok
Theresa Turner has lived in Canada, the United States, Japan, Thailand, and Burma/Myanmar.   She has taught social sciences, literature and ESL at the secondary and tertiary levels and has worked for governmental and non-governmental organizations.  Proficient in Japanese, Thai, and some French, she holds a Masters degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.  Her Bachelor of Education with qualifications in Special Needs is from the University of Toronto.

EUROPE

Austria

Vienna
Regina Rowland earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and engaged in German/English/French translation and interpretation. She earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts in the US at Meredith College and her Master’s in Graphic Design at NC State University. Regina completed her doctorate at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA, in Transdisciplinary Studies. She has been certified as Intercultural Communication Practitioner by the Intercultural Institute in Portland, OR, and as NLP Master Practitioner by NLP Marin in San Rafael, CA. Regina consults internationally, teaches on the university level and is active as a coach. Regina is familiar with the European and US school systems.

Belgium

Brussels
Kristina Wechsler has taught Spanish, served as a Spanish language interpreter and has managed medical sales and accounts for a medical manufacturer in Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the Middle East. In Minnesota, she developed and managed collaborative learning programs with schools for health and dental services organizations. She is currently assisting  “Living in Luzern”  to plan and develop their website geared towards connecting English-speaking newcomers to vital resources in Lucern. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

France

Paris
Debbie Rattier has lived in France for the past 23 years and currently teaches English, writes
and translates. She has worked on the board of governors for a local English school. Debbie
previously worked in database technical support and was also a consultant, and responsible
for writing and giving training courses. She holds a BA (hons) in Geography and English
Literature from London University, a UNIX qualification from Berkeley University, and has
followed several other courses. She is fluent in English and French.

Milla Darcy, a native of California, has spent eighteen years in Europe. She taught English in the public school system in Spain.  She coordinated seminars for executives for a Business school in France. In Luxembourg she took up journalism, writing a children's column for an international community’s magazine. She received Bachelor degree in psychology, and was admitted to PhD clinical psychology program in Berkeley, California, before moving to Europe with her French husband.   After studies at the Sorbonne, Milla is now fluent in French as well as Spanish. She and her husband are active in their children's schools and in the International community. 

Germany

Bonn
Claudia Niessing has extensive experience working in the German school system and in private practice as a teacher and speech-language-pathologist. She has lived and studied in the US. She holds two Master's degrees in Special Education from the University of Cologne/Germany and in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Eastern Illinois University.

Hungary

Budapest
Betsy Maury is a former Senior Editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group in New York. During her tenure there she published the successful series "What Your First through Sixth Grader Should Know" by E.D. Hirsch of the Core Knowledge Foundation, a landmark series for parents and teachers on elementary school education. Since moving abroad in 1995 she has lived in Slovenia and Hungary working as a freelance writer and editor. She has written guidebooks on Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Eastern Europe for Fodor's Travel Publications. She holds an undergraduate degree in History and Latin from Smith College.

Ireland

Dublin
Jennifer von Matuschka has previously worked in marketing with Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd, organizing the relocation of international families within the company. She is currently guardian for several foreign students who attend boarding schools in Ireland, providing accommodation for them and others during their exeat weekends. She has lived in Germany and the UK. Jenny holds an RSA Diploma for Personal Assistants.

Italy

Veneto
Meret Piderman began her career in the fashion industry but changed to teaching. She has been teaching art history and art to students 5-14 years old. In addition, she has danced and taught ballet professionally. Recently Meret spent 5 years in the Veneto region of Italy where she was the art teacher at the International Schools of Venice and Treviso. Meret speaks German and Italian and has a BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

The Netherlands

Amsterdam
Weja Kuin studied at the Hotel Management School in The Netherlands and worked in the hotel business for many years in Belgium, England and the United States. After living in the USA, she returned to The Netherlands where she started working as Project Manager for The European Fine Art Foundation, organizing the world famous art fair in Maastricht. She is actively involved with her children's schools and volunteers on a project that helps underprivileged families find the right schools for their children. Weja is studying 'pedagogics and educational theory' at the Hogeschool in Amsterdam and speaks Dutch, English, German and French.

Poland

Warsaw
Elzbieta Moczarska has a broad experience in public and media relations, financial research and business development with international companies. She lived in London for ten years working at large, financial institutions before returning to Poland in 1994 where she has been a Business Director and a Country Manger for an Irish recruitment company. She now works as an independent PR and Business Development consultant. Her recent projects included business development and marketing strategy for one of the leading, non-public high schools in Poland. She studied Education at the University of Warsaw and holds a Diploma in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations from the London Chamber of Commerce Institute.

Russia

Moscow
Ekaterina Kashirskaya has worked as an Educational Psychologist at the British International School in Moscow and as a freelance consultant at different international schools in the Netherlands and at the Russian school in Amsterdam. She has considerable experience working with bilingual children, developing teaching programs related to the acquisition of several languages, and providing learning support for those with special educational needs. She was educated at Moscow State University, received her MSA  at the University of Essex (UK) and further training at the European Graduate School of Child Neuropsychology in the Netherlands. 

Spain

Barcelona
Arline Burns Coward has worked as a Reading Specialist in a private special education school in Madrid, and an English as a Second Language Teacher at the US Culture Center. She has lived in Madrid and Barcelona for over twenty years, and is active in many international organizations, including the Federation of American Women's Clubs. Arline has a Master's degree in Education with a specialty in Learning Disabilities from Teacher's College, and a Spanish Studies Diploma from the University of Madrid. Her undergraduate degree is from California State University.

Switzerland

United Kingdom

London
Siobhan Biffen received a First Class Honours degree in Primary Education from the University of Surrey. She has also had training in making provision for special needs children in schools. Her teaching and relocation experiences include London and New York, comprising both state and private education sectors. Most recently she worked at the British International School of New York before returning to the United Kingdom with her family. As president of the Scarsdale and Edgemont New Residents' Club she utilized her interpersonal and organizational skills to welcome newly relocated families to the Westchester, NY area. In addition, she has ten years of corporate experience in international banking in the City of London.

Valeria Fleury has more than twenty years experience of teaching English and Portuguese to children and adults.  Recently, Valeria has worked with FOCUS, Information Services, a resource center for expatriate families. Valeria holds two MA Degrees, one in TESOL from Hunter College, NYC and one in Child Development from the Institute of Education in London.

Soledad Gomez has been an expatriate since 1993 with assignments in Los Angeles, London, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and New York. She is fluent in English and Spanish. She received a degree in Communication and Advertising in Chile and a post-graduate certificate in Marketing and Sales from University of California, Los Angeles.

Marshall Lawhon has had a broad range of international experience beginning in Washington, D.C., where she was the Personal Assistant to the Director of Policy Planning European Bureau in the Department of State. In France, she was the personal assistant to the Ambassador of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and then went on to be the Executive Assistant for an international energy agency.  After eleven years in France, she moved to London in 1988 where she served as a research consultant for an energy group. She holds a Bachelor’s from the University of Richmond in History and French.

Loretta Wallin has taught art, Spanish, and French at public and private schools in Nebraska, California, New York City, Argentina, and Madrid. Loretta speaks English, Spanish, and French. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific and a graduate degree in Art Education K-12 from University of Tulsa.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel

Jerusalem
DR. NOGA AUMANN has been a longtime faculty member of Hadassah University Hospital for their Out-Patient Children's Psychiatry Clinic and also worked as a psychologist for the Keshev Institute for Diagnosis and Treatment of Teenagers, both in Israel. Noga had the recent experience of moving with her own children to Pennsylvania, where she worked to find schools for them in a language other than their own. She has also been affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety and the Family Treatment Center of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Noga received her Doctoral and Masters degrees from Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai
Namita Khanna has headed the Welfare Committee with International Women's Groups, as well as teaching English, fundraising, writing a monthly newsletter and assessing the needs of local charities.  Namita is bilingual in English and Hindi.  She has a B.A in Economics from Bombay University, and a MBA in Marketing from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok.

NORTH AMERICA

Canada

Montreal
Chantal Lasry recently retired from her work as a nursery teacher at a social center for seniors.  After forty years teaching, Chantal is now leading parenting sessions for individuals and groups as well as offering private consultations for teachers, parents and caregivers at home or at school. Her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood is from Concordia University and she has a Class 2 Diploma in Early Childhood from McGill University.

Toronto
Donna Sobers has been working in the educational sector as a coordinator with The Law Society of Upper Canada and with international students at Durham College. Her strong organizational and customer service has allowed her to be very successful in supporting and providing resources for international students studying in Canada. Donna attended Carleton University in Ottawa, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Literature. Donna speaks Spanish and has studied and lived in Madrid. She has also lived in the Caribbean. Donna is presently working on obtaining a Project Management Certificate at Durham College and also volunteers as a Board Member for an organization that raises funds to send kids with sickle cell to summer camp.

Bob Dwyer has been a teacher for 15 years and a Principal for another 15 years in Ontario. For the past 10 years he has been the Director of International Schools in Switzerland, Armenia, Turkmenistan and China. He has assisted families/students and families move in and out of various countries including Canada and Great Britain. He is aware of the similarities and differences between the British and Canadian education systems. He is a proven professional educator who presents all the options for the best education choices to families and their children.

United States

Arizona

Karen Moskowitz has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona, and a law degree from Arizona State University College of Law. She worked as a lawyer in private practice, then as in-house counsel at Viad Corp. Over the years, she has volunteered in many capacities in the school district where her children attend. Karen grew up in Phoenix Arizona, but has studied abroad in both Italy and Argentina. She is proficient in Spanish.

Gail Kefauver worked in Educational Publishing for many years, most recently as an Editor for a school textbook publisher in Menlo Park, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Boston University.

Karen Lee Mah coaches teens with ADHD as well as consults for psychiatrists, psychologists and educational therapists in Los Angeles. Karen has a seat on Hermosa Beach's Master Plan Committee strategizing with the School Board and Superintendent about long-term facility needs. She lived in Honolulu, HI and received her BS from Cornell University.

Georgia

New Jersey

Patty Bottomley has lived in Canada and England as well as the United States. She organized the annual fundraising auction and travel fair at the American School in London when she was living in England with her family, and previously worked in Marketing at General Foods in Toronto. Patty received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from York University in Toronto.

Karen Holloman lived in Australia for three years where she worked as an Educational Advisor at the American Consulate in Sydney. Karen served eight years as Budget Director for an academic medical center in Chicago, and was an associate professor at Rush University in Chicago. Until joining School Choice International, she was a knowledge specialist for a consulting firm in New York City. Karen received her undergraduate degree from Coe College, and her graduate degree from University of Chicago.

Linda Kiarsis was a Board of Education Trustee for 6 years, a PTSA President for 2 years, and liaison to the Special Services department of a Westchester public school district for 3 years In the latter capacity, Linda was responsible for reading all IEPs (Individual Education Plans) and Annual Reviews and made recommendations for board approval on a monthly basis. Linda received her associates degree from Briarcliff College.

Jill Blocher has been working with children for over 10 years. Starting out as a Nanny she made a natural progression to a career in education. Jill attended Florida Atlantic University obtaining a BA in English literature and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Gifted Education. During her university years, Jill worked in a day care center and as a substitute teacher for Palm county public schools. Jill moved to North Carolina where she was employed as a 4th grade Talent Development teacher.

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Washington

Debra Kumar serves on the Executive Board of the Somerset Elementary school district and has taken on fundraising and other financial duties for the district. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston and has been a Project Manager for a variety of corporations.

Martha Cunningham has lived in the Seattle area for twenty-five years and in Philadelphia for four years. She has a degree in Human Services and a Montessori Teaching Certificate. She has taught for schools in Wilmington, DE, Seattle, WA and Bellevue, WA. She has also been a volunteer for child and youth agencies and crisis counseling. She speaks German and is currently writing educational materials for teachers and parents.

Washington, DC / Virginia
Judith Brand is a Certified School Psychologist with over 17 years experience working both in the US and internationally. She has been a School Psychologist in American schools and Saudi Arabian schools. Judy holds a Doctoral degree in School Psychology from Fordham University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Simmons College.

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina

Buenos Aires
Marcela Parodi has over twenty years experience in the field of educaton.  She has taught English literature and language for ESL students, co-ordinated student exchange and business studies programs, helped prepare High School students for international exams, been a G-Telp examiner-invigilator and been the Principal/Headmistress/Co-ordinator at Marin School and Wellspring School in Buenos Aires.  Marcela has a Bachelor’s degree in Education Administration and is TESL/TEFL certified.

Brazil

Rio De Janeiro
Lee Weingast is a native New Yorker who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over five years, Lee Weingast has been based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil since 2002. After four years studying and working in Florence, Italy, she is fluent in Italian. With a Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Sarah Lawrence College, and a Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from Bank Street College of Education. Lee has taught in monolingual, bilingual, special and regular education classrooms in New York and California for over twelve years. Currently, Lee teaches English as a foreign language and helps visitors find their way around Brazil as a writer for an on-line travel guide. She speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.

Mexico

Mexico City
Leticia G. de la Rasilla has most recently been working in the area of International Commerce, in different countries such as Belgium, France and Spain. She has also taught various Marketing and Business Administration subjects at a Spanish University. She is  trilingual (English, French and Spanish) with a degree in Law.