Staff
Tina Schøn, Denmark
Deputy Secretary General Tina Schøn was appointed in 2005, having worked in the International Secretariat first as Research Co-ordinator and then as Programme Officer since April 1999.
In addition to assisting the Secretary General with the overall management of the International Secretariat, she has primary responsibility for the Assembly's activities in the Caucasus, including the Ad Hoc Committee on Abkhazia (Georgia). She also organizes election observation missions.
Gustavo Pallares, Spain
Deputy Secretary General Gustavo Pallares was appointed in 2007, having worked in the International Secretariat since February 2001 as Presidential Advisor. During this period Mr. Pallares has been responsible for the overall co-ordination of the activities of the Assembly's President.
Mr. Pallares assists the Secretary General in his functions and continues to oversee the activities of the Presidency while having primary responsibility for organizing all meetings of the Assembly.
Andreas Nothelle, Germany
Ambassador Andreas Nothelle is a constitutional lawyer and a senior civil servant, who served in the German Bundestag for more than 18 years. He has been heading the OSCE PA Liaison Office in Vienna, which is an important communication link between the OSCE's governmental structures in Vienna and the OSCE PA, since its establishment.
Mr. Nothelle has served in a wide range of posts within the German Bundestag Administration, including as Secretary of the Committee on Labour and Social Affairs, Head of the Office of a former President of the Bundestag, and as Head of the Division on Interparliamentary Affairs.
Dana Bjerregaard, United States
Dana Bjerregaard serves as the Assistant to the Secretary General. She arranges the schedule of the Secretary General and is responsible for his correspondence and liaison with OSCE Institutions, as well as co-ordinating the flow of information between and among the staff of the International Secretariat.
Prior to joining the International Secretariat, Ms. Bjerregaard worked for various law firms in the United States. She speaks English and Danish.
Marc Carillet, France
Deputy Director of Administration Marc Carillet joined the International Secretariat in July 2007.
Mr. Carillet's responsibilities include budgetary issues of the OSCE, supporting the PA's Special Representative in Vienna in communicating between the governmental structures of the OSCE and the Assembly, administering the Vienna Liaison Office and coordinating the work of the Vienna-based Research Fellows. He also serves as Deputy to the PA's Special Representative in Vienna.
Anna Chernova, United States
Programme Director Anna Chernova joined the International Secretariat in February 2006. Ms. Chernova is responsible for supporting the Assembly's activities in Belarus, Moldova, and in Central Asia. She also supports election observation missions and the Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.
With a degree in International Relations from Boston College, Ms. Chernova has held Fulbright and IREX graduate research fellowships to Russia and Bulgaria, focusing on issues of refugee and minority rights, as well as conflict resolution.
Semyon Dzakhaev, Russian Federation
Senior Counsellor Semyon Dzakhaev is responsible for organizing meetings of the Assembly, including Annual Sessions and Winter Meetings, meetings of the Standing Committee and the Bureau, and various conferences and seminars. In addition, he serves as the liaison officer with the national parliaments of the CIS region.
He joined the International Secretariat in February 2008.
Odile Lelarge, France
Odile Lelarge joined the staff as Conference Co-ordinator in July 2006. Her responsibilities include assisting Deputy Secretary Gustavo Pallares in organizing all OSCE PA meetings, including logistics, hotels, notices and all other details related to the organization of the Annual Sessions, meetings of the Bureau, Standing Committee and various conferences and seminars.
Prior to joining the International Secretariat, Ms. Lelarge worked as Project Manager of employment-focused projects in the EU.
Pia Cathrin Rasmussen, Denmark
General Services Officer Pia Cathrin Rasmussen joined the staff of the Assembly as an IT-Supporter from 1994 to 2008 and has been promoted several times over the years.
She rejoined the Secretariat after two years away in 2010.
She has set up and helps maintain the Assembly website, acts as Purchasing Manager, does other odd jobs around the office and backs up the IT department as well.
She speaks fluent English and German.
Kurt Lerras, Denmark
Kurt Lerras joined the staff of the International Secretariat in February 1993 after having served for eighteen years in the Danish Parliament, including in its International Department. After having worked for several years as General Services Officer, he currently holds the position of Administrative Director. Working with the Secretary General, he ensures that all expenditures are properly authorised and vouchered.
He is also responsible for acquiring and maintaining equipment and supplies for the International Secretariat, and for the physical arrangements of all Assembly meetings.
Lindsay McGill, United Kingdom
Administrative Assistant Lindsay McGill joined the staff of the International Secretariat in April 2011. In addition to her duties as the first point of contact for individuals contacting the Secretariat, she is responsible for distributing correspondence, maintaining all files and records and administering Supplementary Items and amendments for the Annual Sessions.
Prior to joining the International Secretariat Ms. McGill worked in London for over six years as Personal Assistant to a number of Managing Directors and CEOs. She speaks English and Danish.
Roberto Montella, Italy
Deputy Director for Field Operations Roberto Montella joined the International Secretariat in June 2009. Mr. Montella's responsibilities include Election Observation Missions, South East Europe and Mediterranean programs. He also serves as a deputy to the PA's Special Representative in Vienna.
A former OSCE PA Research Fellow, Mr. Montella has served for ten years in the OSCE Field Missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro as International Election Officer, Political Affairs Officer, Programme Co-ordinator and Executive Advisor to the Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia.
Nat Parry, United States
Editorial Director Nat Parry joined the International Secretariat in February 2008. His responsibilities include maintenance of the Parliamentary Assembly's website, co-ordinating the work of the Research Fellows, producing content for and designing the layout of OSCE PA publications, and providing general support for the PA communications office.
Prior to joining the Secretariat, Mr. Parry held policy-related positions at American NGOs such as U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Public Citizen's Congress Watch, where he specialized in civil justice and campaign finance reform.
Stephen Paul, United States
IT Specialist Stephen Paul joined the staff of the International Secretariat in April 2008. He provides IT support for OSCE PA as well as assisting the Director of Communications with website administration. He also provides communication and logistical support at Assembly meetings.
Mr. Paul attended Simons Rock College of Bard and St. Johns University he graduated with majors in Computer Science and Economics. Mr. Paul joined the Secretariat after working as a Financial Analyst with American International Group.
Iryna Sabashuk, Ukraine
Operations Officer Iryna Sabashuk joined the International Secretariat in May 2011. She has studied at Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and holds Master degrees in English and German Philology. She was a member of organizational team during the 16th OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session Kyiv, and has worked as a local co-ordinator and interpreter during several OSCE Election Observation Missions in Ukraine.
Ms. Sabashuk had university practice at the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine and worked on annual reports on fossil fuels production in European countries and FAO projects in Ukraine.
Neil Simon, United States
Neil Simon became Director of Communications for the OSCE PA in February 2011. As the PA's spokesman he serves as the point of contact for all media and as a liaison between international reporters and the PA leadership.
Mr. Simon brings more than a decade of journalism and public affairs experience to the Assembly having most recently served as the Communications Director for the U.S. Helsinki Commission based in Washington. As a journalist Mr. Simon received numerous awards for investigative reporting and documentary production.