Sondra Govatski

Agreements Administrator

Sondra Govatski serves as Agreements Administrator responsible for overseeing agreements with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), IRI’s bi-lateral grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development and agreements with foreign and other non-traditional funders. 

Between 2010 – 2018 Sondra served as Administrative Director of the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, a joint venture of the three premier organizations in the field of elections and political party process strengthening, which includes the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, IRI and the National Democratic Institute

Prior to joining IRI in 2005, Govatski served as program coordinator for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 2002 to 2005.  In that position she oversaw the administrative and fiscal management of economic support funds for worldwide programs.  She was instrumental in improving the bureau’s grant-making operation by introducing internal management controls and developing a system for efficient management of projects. 

Govatski also served as the program manager for the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, managing academic exchange program grants for Eurasia.  In addition to her work overseeing grant and budget proposals, she also planned and implemented exchange programs.

As a training specialist with the Academy for Educational Development from May 1996 to June 1998, Govatski managed Eurasia programs funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.  She was responsible developing training programs for groups of Eurasian professionals.

Govatski earned her bachelor’s degree in Russian area studies from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.  She has studied Russian language at the Institute of Steel and Alloys in Moscow and the Herzen Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

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