Berdia Natsvlishvili

Experience

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  United Nations Youth

  Jan 1996 - Jan 1998

  Head of Public Relations Department

  Led the implementation of internal and external PR strategies for the organization; contributed the fundraising efforts of the development team and actively engaged with donor communities and partners nationwide; worked closely with senior team to attract new member – volunteers for the organization; As a Member of the Board of Directors I was assigned to lead the development of strategic / innovative / creative projects for the organization; Served as a key contact person and spokesman for the organization in the media. Show less

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  Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2000

  Assistant to the Project Director, Caucasian Human Rights, Media Training and Information Project

  Assisted Director of the EU funded and IWPR / CIPDD implemented Trans Caucasian Human Rights, Media Training and Information Project in its overall implementation including organizing trainings and conferences for journalists of Caucasus countries; publishing quarterly Russian language regional Journal “Media Caucasia” on media, human rights problems and ongoing political events in Caucasus region; arranging small grants competitions and awarding winner Georgian journalists for investigative newspaper articles. Show less

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  Open Society Georgia Foundation

  Jan 2000 - Dec 2000

  Trainer, Education Decentralization and Management Development Project

  Trained, assisted and consulted administration, teachers and parents of selected pilot schools of Tbilisi in the creation of new school charter and school strategy; trained abovementioned groups and students in school election procedures which made possible for pilot schools in Tbilisi to have new school charter designed by all parties, along with the school strategy and action plans and with elected board of trustees and pedagogic councils.

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  PH International (formerly Project Harmony Inc.)

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2005

  Work with Country/Program Director on all stages of program administration and budget management for largest international exchange; led key activities of the program including traveling to the target communities in the regions of Georgia to carry out program advertisement, promotion, and recruitment process to attract best candidate for the U.S. exchange program. Conducted program consultations, presentations, press-conferences, media interviews, program and pre-departure orientations; designed and managed program alumni follow-on component, including administration of an annual mini-grants competition for program alumni to support U.S. applied learning in their respective organizations and communities in Georgia, and other professional development and networking opportunities nationwide; managed program development in areas including website development, newsletter, alumni directory and other promotional publications; worked with Public Affairs Section at US Embassy in Georgia and US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs staff to facilitate the program information exchange; Led the close-out process of the program under the US Department of State's funding and was member of the international development team to design the new concept of the Community Connections subcontract proposal for the USAID, later awarded to our consortium. Show less Collaborated with Program Director on all stages of participant recruitment and selection process for the well known international exchange program; collected data on all contacts, program candidates, program participants and alternates for entry into the program database; maintained regular communications with confirmed program participants; organized post-program, follow-on and other alumni activities; assisted program staff in preparing program quarterly newsletter; responsible for development program promotional materials, including brochures, press kits and posters, managed production of program alumni directory; provided administrative support for the program, translating documents. Show less

  • Deputy Program Director, U.S. Department of State’s Community Connections Program

    Jan 2003 - Jan 2005

  • Program Coordinator, U.S. Department of State’s Community Connections Program

    Jan 2000 - Jan 2003
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  Georgian Technical University

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2006

  Lecturer in Public Relations

  A faculty member; Faculty of Engineering Economic, Media Technology and Social Sciences - Invited lecturer on “Mass Media and PR” and “Strategic Public Relations Planning” to the 3rd-grade, undergraduate students majoring in Public Relations.

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  UNDP in Georgia

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2009

  Public Relations and Advocacy Expert

  Design, coordinating and evaluating PR and advocacy strategy of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and Government of Georgia funded and the Parliament of Georgia and UNDP implemented four year $ 1.138.142 project; During 4 years developed and implemented innovative media communication activities & outreach campaigns; produced written materials for the mass media; elaborated concepts for booklets, posters, flit cards, newsletters, newspaper inserts, press releases and photos; prepared scenarios of documentary films, PSA’s for broadcast media, radio clips and TV talk shows about the gender equality concepts, and the importance of women’s participation in decision making; organized meetings, workshops, seminars, regional events, photo and performing art exhibitions, video installations and conferences; communicated with journalists/broadcasters, in writing and face to face, to achieve excellent coverage for the project in the mainstream media; created and managed regular update of project’s website; major highlight was establishment of Annual Gender Week in Georgia with established annual events: 1. award ceremony for the best gender media sensitive report and article; 2. award ceremony for the best gender equal business companies in Georgia and 3. civil society EXPO working on gender and women’s issues. Show less

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  Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2007

  Lecturer in Public Relations

  A faculty member; Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.- Invited lecturer on “Mass Media and PR” and “Strategic Public Relations Planning” to the 3rd-grade undergraduate level students majoring in Public Relations.

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  PH International (formerly Project Harmony Inc.)

  Dec 2005 - Jan 2010

  USAID Community Connections Progrram Director

  Design, develop, and implement international professional exchange training programs valued at USD 3 Million; direct oversight of national recruiting process of program participants, including program presentations, consultations, pre-screening of applications, forming and arranging reading and interview committees, facilitating participant selection process and conducting pre-departure orientations; overseeing follow-on activities of returning program alumni and contributing their active participation in their communities though applied knowledge; building partnerships and coalitions to ensure optimum program success between PH International offices and USAID, project partners, international and local NGOs, US Embassy in Georgia, host government officials, media, and the general public; management, training, and development of program and admin permanent staff; direct oversight and development of program budget and all program deliverables; financial management and monitoring for compliance with organizational and OMB guidelines; oversight travel arrangements, including visa processing and compliance with different directives; Reporting and evaluation of all program activities. Show less

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  The University of Georgia School of Social Sciences

  Jan 2008 - now

  Assistant Professor

  An academic faculty member of the School of Social Science, Public Relations, and Advertising Graduate Program. - Leading courses in “Introduction to Public Relations,” "Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics," and "Strategic Communications" at the graduate level. Mentoring student teams in international industry competitions and tournaments.

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  Caucasus University

  Jan 2009 - now

  Assistant Professor

  An academic faculty member of the Caucasus School of Media. - Leading courses in “Introduction to Public Relations,” "Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics," and "Strategic Communications" at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Serving as a master thesis curator and a master dissertation committee member occasionally.

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  PH International (formerly Project Harmony Inc.)

  Jul 2010 - now

  Country Director, Georgia

  As a senior representative of the U.S.-based nonprofit organization PH International in Georgia, I am responsible for overall leadership, program implementation, and administrative operations of the branch office in the country. In this role, I have led various operational transformations at different times.As a local lead for the development portfolio, I work with a senior U.S.-based team and local staff to prioritize and pursue new programming and funding opportunities from USAID, the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, and the U.S. Department of State. Since 2010, from a single donor-funded program valuing 1,2 million USD, I have contributed to expanding the branch office to a 37.8 million USD portfolio encompassing 48 diverse projects, impacting communities beyond Georgia, in the South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Directly supervise programs’ implementation, including programmatic and financial/budget management, procurement and contract negotiations, compliance with audits, and award management with U.S. federal government requirements and PH International’s internal policies. Support other field office operations as needed.Provide leadership through integrity and empathy to the dynamic team of 20+ Georgian staff members and 50+ contractors and support Program Directors during staff recruitment, hiring, guidance, and on-site mentoring. Ensure that strategies are in place for long-term satisfaction, retention, and professional development for all. Regularly work with Program Directors and other program and finance staff to make relevant strategic decisions during program implementation. Work closely with the Georgian government, private sector, other international development and local nonprofit organizations, charity foundations, academia, and media to maximize joint efforts in innovating program delivery, including building new private-sector partnerships and coalitions and leveraging program funding. Show less