Europe
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.
FRANCE
Paris
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 fluent in French as well as Spanish. She and her husband are active in their children’s schools and in the International community.
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.
GERMANY
Berlin
Shane O’Halloran is an educational consultant for School Choice International in Germany. Shane has over a decade of experience working on projects relating to human rights, disabilities and development. His work supported families with health and educational challenges and he developed special programs for children with Asperger Syndrome. Shane also worked with Trinity College Dublin in producing a DVD guide for teachers. Shane has a B.Sc. Economics Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an M.A. in International and Development Economics from Berlin University of Applied Science. Shane speaks fluent German.
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.
Frankfurt am Main
Demi Naoum-Berger is an independent educational consultant providing education consulting services in Frankfurt/Main Germany. She is an experienced teacher of English and German at schools and for companies. She is teaching part time in three international schools in the greater Frankfurt area and has initiated successful cultural events. Demi has an MBA from the Open University in England and a BA (Honours) in Dance Culture and Communication from City University in London. She was educated in Greece, Luxembourg, the Sultanate of Oman and England and is well accustomed with various school curricula. She is fluent in Greek, German and French and has a colloquial knowledge of Japanese.
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.
Grainne Convery is an independent contractor providing educational services in Dublin. She has extensive experience working in Recruitment and Sales & Business Development. She most recently worked on a project with Test Prep Dublin, a school providing standardised Test Preparation for Irish & International students. Her work with Test Prep involved researching and liaising with Dublin’s top 40 schools with a view to identifying students preparing to sit the SAT exam in Ireland. She has a degree in International Business & Languages (Spanish & Italian) from the Dublin Institute of Technology. Grainne has spent time living & working in Spain & North America.
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.
JOY OTTO has over ten years of classroom experience as a teacher and educational consultant. She is the English Curriculum supervisor of the first government approved bilingual school in Amsterdam. Before living in Amsterdam, Joy was a Museum Educator at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. Prior to her work there, she was a certified Orton-Gillingham Language Therapist. Joy holds an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Special Education and a Master’s in Montessori Early Childhood Education. She is fluent in English, proficient in Thai, and understands Dutch well enough but pronounces it horribly. Her husband maintains that Thai was her first language, Southern her second and English her third.
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 as 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
Geneva
Laura Messenger is originally from the United States. Laura has lived in Switzerland since 2001. She is a skilled writer and researcher with over 15 years experience in educational settings. Immediately prior to moving to Geneva, Laura worked for the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation at the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, where she provided information and guidance to American and international clients in governmental, academic, and business settings as well as with the general public. Laura received her Ph.D. in Education Policy, Planning and Administration and M.A. in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Maryland College Park. She is proficient in French.
Denise Nickerson is a Geneva Educational Consultant. Living on the French-Swiss border for more than 8 years, she is American and French. Her experiences include working as a cultural trainer, a professor in two Parisian universities, and a university admissions recruiter speaking in over 300 international schools in 30 different countries. She has experience with fine arts university admissions and with UNICEF’s Education for Development department. She is a Fulbright scholar with a Bachelor’s Degree in French, U.S. K-12 Teacher’s Certification in French and ESOL, and a multidisciplinary Master’s Degree in Education. Denise is passionate about international education and is French-English bilingual.
Alice MacDiarmid is an Educational Consultant in Geneva. Alice has resided in Geneva for the last few years; prior to Geneva, she lived in the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe. Alice is a legal editor and writer and has taught English as a second language at several language schools in Switzerland; she is a TESOL certified teacher. Alice received her B.A. degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and also holds a JD degree and a Masters of Law (LLM) in International Business Law from University College London. She is proficient in French and Romanian.
Zurich
Lisa Obrist-Mamis has lived in Zurich for almost 30 years. She is currently head of a one-year Swiss training program in teaching the performing arts in the classroom. Lisa has been on the staff at various international and bilingual schools in the Zurich area where she taught drama and creative movement. Lisa is fluent in German and holds a Master of Arts degree in Educational Theater from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the State University of New York at Purchase.
UNITED KINGDOM
London
Siobhan Biffen is a Senior Educational Consultant with School Choice International. Siobhan has a First Class Honours degree in education from the University of Surrey, with particular interest in English as Additional Language (EAL) students as well as structuring special educational needs provision. Siobhan most recently worked at the British International School in New York where she lived for four years with her family. Whilst there, she utilized her interpersonal and organizational skills as president of the Scarsdale and Edgemont New Residents Club welcoming families to the Westchester area of NY. Siobhan also has ten years of corporate experience 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.
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.
Bernadette Nagy has taught music to children of all ages, including music in special education. She has always been involved with the parent organizations in the schools her children have attended and her family has regularly moved around Australia and Europe. She has been an involved parent in schools around Europe and recently started a choir for a women’s expat group in London. Bernadette has a Bachelors degree in music from the University of Tasmania.
REBECCA POWER is an experienced teacher, counselor and psychotherapist having worked in special education in Seattle and now London. Rebecca has traveled extensively worldwide and lived in Washington State, California and Malaysia. She gained her Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Goldsmiths College, University of London and her Master’s degree from the University of Bedfordshire.
Scotland
Kristina Wechsler is a Global Field Supervisor for School Choice International supervising the United Kingdom, continental Europe, India, and the Middle East. She 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 Lucerne. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
