Elizabeth Callahan

Program and policy professional with experience advancing work related to democratic governance, international affairs, and human rights. Combines policy analysis, research, program management, report development, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic communications with a highly collaborative, solutions-oriented approach. Experienced in translating complex information into clear, accurate products, coordinating stakeholders, and taking ownership of mission-critical deliverables.

Professional Transition & Part-time AI Data Fact Checker - Planned Career Break - Remote

(2025-02)

Pursuing part-time AI data annotation and fact-checking positions, building emerging expertise in AI-assisted information verification and digital research while searching for full-time position.

• Maintained eligibility and readiness for short-term international election observation assignments while following political, electoral, and regional developments and sustaining professional engagement.
• Traveled throughout Central and Eastern Europe while contributing hands-on support to family-owned flower cultivation business in Serbia, gaining cross-cultural experience and regional exposure; conducted detailed Serbian language study.

Staff Assistant & Office Management Specialist - U.S. Department of State - Washington, D.C.

(2023-08 - 2025-02)

Supported Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (S/SPEHA) as lead scheduler and travel arranger for Ambassador Roger Carstens and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy Steven Gillen, managing complex executive calendars, sensitive domestic and overseas travel, and Control Officer coordination for diplomatic engagements. Coordinated S/SPEHA office administration, Secret-level communications, and classified documentation, supporting engagements with congressional officials, foreign government representatives, journalists, families of hostages and wrongful detainees, think tanks, and advocacy organizations. Planned and executed logistics for sensitive, high-profile meetings and events, including Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2023 meeting with families of U.S.-Israeli nationals held hostage, the March 2024 Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day ceremony, a Fall 2024 visit by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and a Fall 2024 visit by Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.

• Drafted and shepherded S/SPEHA’s Congressionally mandated annual congressional report detailing assistance provided to U.S. nationals and families unlawfully detained overseas, coordinating input from Legislative Affairs and Action Officers, editing final content, navigating interoffice clearances, and delivering publication-ready submission.
• Produced and refined S/SPEHA executive briefing materials, including talking point cards, briefing checklists, and meeting memoranda, reviewing Case Officer drafts for copyedits, formatting, and compliance with drafting standards; expanded responsibilities to include report drafting and executive meeting preparation.
• Established standardized references for recurring office operations by developing and publishing Standard Operating Procedure guides covering travel arrangements, expense reimbursement, onboarding, and administrative processes.
• Received U.S. Department of State Award for Excellence (2024) recognizing exceptional teamwork supporting the Arbitrary Detention Initiative and multilateral engagement to counter wrongful detention worldwide.
• Awarded U.S. Department of State Certificate of Appreciation (2023) recognizing service supporting receipt and resettlement of 222 former Nicaraguan political prisoners in the United States on humanitarian parole.

Short-Term Election Observer - OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - Washington, DC

(2019-03 - 2024-10)

Conducted short-term election observation missions for Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), serving in Ukraine (2019), Armenia (2021), Hungary (2022), Serbia (2023), and Georgia (2024) on 6–10-day assignments. Reviewed host-country election laws, regulations, administrative materials, and procedures; attended official OSCE briefings; and assessed election administration practices before and during voting. Observed opening, voting, closing, and tabulation procedures at up to 15 voting precincts on election days, coordinating with observers, interpreters, authorities, citizen groups, political-party representatives, and Long-Term Observers.

• Produced continuous on-the-ground reporting and political analysis for regional Long-Term Observers and OSCE Mission Core Teams, documenting electoral procedures, conditions, developments, and issues informing OSCE leadership assessments of election processes.
• Navigated complex and unfamiliar electoral procedures in five national elections, reconciling observations with fellow short-term observers and exercising field judgment regarding security, interpreter conduct, and potentially contentious situations while maintaining impartial observation standards.

Office Management Specialist - U.S. Department of State - Washington, D.C.

(2021-09 - 2023-07)

Provided front-of-office support for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA), managing Office Director and Deputy Director calendars, visitor access, facility security compliance, and senior leadership travel. Coordinated weekly staff meetings and larger engagements with foreign delegations, NGO representatives, U.S. government officials, and DRL bureau stakeholders; maintained office records, processed travel vouchers and expense reports, and handled reimbursement requests.

Supported office operations through supply orders, equipment repairs, IT issue resolution, new team member onboarding, and travel coordination with U.S. embassy points of contact; held Secret security clearance while serving onsite through Goldbelt C6 and Kenjya-Trusant Group.

• Assumed responsibility for Caribbean country portfolio covering 13 countries: Belize, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, and Dominica.
• Expanded policy responsibilities to report production, including coordinating with U.S. embassies, foreign service officers, and freelance editorial support to draft, edit, and finalize annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 13-country Caribbean portfolio.

Program Assistant - Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) - Arlington, VA

(2019-07 - 2020-06)

Processed, assembled, and submitted travel expense report packages for U.S. election observers, ensuring reimbursement documentation met government standards and Accounts Payable requirements. Supported deployment and repatriation of U.S. election observers by issuing offer letters, assembling deployment packages, coordinating flight options, and securing receipts and vouchers required for reimbursement.

• Strengthened recruitment efforts supporting PAE’s Rapid Expert Assistance and Co-Operation Teams contract by distributing vacancy notices and developing outreach strategies for groups underrepresented during previous missions.
• Improved accuracy and efficiency of observer reimbursement processing by rapidly reviewing expense reports and documentation, reducing risk of rejected submissions while safeguarding government-funded travel expenditures.

Administrative Assistant - Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) - Washington, D.C.

(2018-12 - 2019-07)

Provided reception, administrative, and facility operations support for PAE’s contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S.

Foreign Disaster

Assistance (OFDA) and Food for Peace (FFP). Managed visitor access, conference room reservations, office supplies, repairs, deliveries, and workspace preparation while maintaining Secret security clearance.

Deputy Campus Organizer - NextGen America - Harrisonburg, VA

(2017-04 - 2017-11)

Served as paid Deputy Campus Organizer for VoteMob Virginia, absorbed by NextGen America in summer 2017, coordinating with full-time Campus Organizer throughout 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election season. Managed daily campus activities for up to 10 interns and volunteers at a time, recruited team members through VoterBuilder database, organized door-to-door canvassing events, and coordinated voter registration activities at JMU. Operated through conclusion of 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election season while managing 30+ events, recruiting support, and voter registration operations.

• Executed daily voter registration drives, successfully registering 2.4K+ university students and Harrisonburg residents to vote by registration deadline; assisted students with registration process and reviewed

Master of Arts - Global Affairs, concentration in International Development - University of Oklahoma, David L. Boren School of International Studies (2023)

Bachelor of Arts, double major - International Affairs and Political Science - James Madison University (2018)