ANELIA ATANASSOVA
ANELIA ATANASSOVA
# 17 Frederick J. Curie St., Bl. 2
Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
Tel. (359 2) 981 9190
atanassova@lgi-bg.org
_____________________________________________________________________
PERSONAL DATA
Name: Anelia Stancheva Atanassova
Address: home: # 17
Frederick J. Curie St., Bl. 2
Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
tel. (++359 2) 971 2770
mobile: (++359 88) 805 508
Local
Government Initiative
# 56 Alabin Street
Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
tel.(++359 2) 981 9190
fax (++359 2) 980 2931
e-mail: atanassova@lgi-bg.org
www.lgi-bg.org
Date of birth: November 22, 1960
Place of birth: Ruse, Bulgaria
Nationality: Bulgarian
Family Status: Married with 2 children
Languages: Bulgarian, English
Russian, Macedonian, and Serbian
Computers: MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point
EDUCATION
June 2000 Tulane and Loyola Law
Schools, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
International Legislative Drafting Institute
1980 - 1985 Sofia University School of Law
Master's Degree of Law
1974 - 1979 English Language School, Ruse
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE
Sofia, Bulgaria
February 1999 - Present
Legal and Policy Reform Team Leader
? Responsible for providing legal and policy support to the partners
of the Local Government Initiative Program of USAID/Bulgaria including
the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria,
the Foundation for Local Government Reform, Ministry of Finance, Commission
on Local Self-government, Regional Development and Public Works of the
National Assembly, and the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and
Public Works. Also providing ongoing support to the Commission on Local
Self-government, Regional Development and Public Works of the National
Assembly, and the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public
Works in connection with the draft law assessment and promoting transparency
of the legislative process.
? Responsible for the coordination between LGI and the USAID/Bulgaria
Partners in the area of legal assistance, transparency issues and public
dialogue.
? Representing LGI at Effective Dialogue Initiative.
? Responsible for LGI Regional Governance Working Group
? Coordination of advocacy activities, concerning local government
and NGOs, organization and participation in public hearings, preparation
of informational materials and meetings with Members of Parliament
? Providing TA and coordination for the development and implementation
of the LGI Legislative Drafting Team Action Plan; developed a curriculum
with the TA of the American STTAs Dr.David Marcello and Dr. Idella Wilson,
Tulane School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
? Organized 7 Legislative Drafting Seminars for over than 140 Bulgarian
Legal drafters.
? Providing TA to the Institute for Public Administration and European
Integration in the area of Legislative Drafting Training
? Legal Research and Legal Drafting
Accomplishments of the Policy Team:
? At the national level
? Work with the Regional Governance Working Group and the Ministry
of Regional development and Public Works on:
o Division of the Roles and Responsibilities of the Different Levels
of Government in Bulgaria
o Comparative Study of the EU and CEE in Regional Policy
o Regional Governance Issue Paper
o Stakeholder Analysis for Regional Policy Identification
? Work directly with the national legislature and national and local
decision-makers:
o Legislative Drafting and Draft Laws Assessment
o Legislative Drafting Training and Legislative Drafting Manual
o Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Training
o Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)
o Effective Dialogue Initiative - Promoting Public Dialogue and Consensus
Building
o Policy Reform Tools – Political Mapping, Stakeholder Analysis, Policy
Characteristics Analysis, Building Consensus, Lobbying Techniques
? At the regional level
? Demonstrated approaches for improving collaboration among regional
administration, local governments, businesses, and NGOs in three pilot
projects and for bringing diverse stakeholders into a dialogue on common
interests. Each of the three pilot projects—implemented in Gabrovo, Stara
Zagora, and Smolyan regions—is intended to provide a new model of intergovernmental
relationships around a different set of issues.
? At the local level
? Work with local governments and the National Association of Municipalities
of the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB)
o Advocacy Training
o Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Training
o Advocacy Manual published and disseminated
o TA for the National Association of Municipalities of the Republic
of Bulgaria (NAMRB) to prepare statements on proposed legislation
o Drafting Sample Ordinances
Workplan focus:
? Regional Pilot Projects (Smolyan, Gabrovo, and Stara Zagora) - of
mechanisms to disseminate the lessons learned from the pilot projects,
including meetings of regional governors, exchanges with the Council of
Ministers and other central agencies, and special workshops
? Monitoring and Tracking Legislation System for NAMRB
? Regulatory Drafting Training (Design and Pilot) and Regulatory Drafting
Manual
? Legislative Drafting Manual
? Local Elections 2003
LAW OFFICE
Attorney at Law
Sofia, Bulgaria
February 1997 - 2001
? Lawyer, responsible for substantial litigation matters, including
courtroom practice. Practice was concentrated in tax law, bank law, and
commercial law. Specialized in the area of Debtor-Creditor Relations and
Bankruptcy. Primary Lawyer responsible for representation of Allianz Insurance
Group and Bulgaria Invest Bank (Allianz Group) before Bulgarian courts,
including the Supreme Court of Casation and the Supreme Administrative
Court. Responsible for the litigation practice consisting of a major tax
suits (claims in excess of $3 million) and commercial suits (claims in
excess of $ 8,5 million). Prepared, conducted and/or supervised all discovery
requests and responses, motions, trial materials, trials, appellate and
administrative hearings.
? Legal and Tax Advisor of Allianz Insurance Group and Bulgaria Invest
Bank (Allianz Group) - providing legal analysis and statements.
? Conducted a World Bank Policy Survey in Bulgaria and Slovenia, interviewing
10 high-level government officials (Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Governor
of the Bulgarian National Bank, etc.), June-October, 1999
Razgrad, Bulgaria 1989 - January 1997
Maintained general litigation practice with concentration in civil law,
family law, real estate law, administrative law, corporate law, tax law
Legal Advisor of the United Bulgarian Bank (1995-1997)
? Special interest in election law and election procedures and civil
rights (1990-1996)
? Over than 60 personal suits of Bulgarian Turks vs. Bulgarian State
for restitution of real estate property, nationalized by the communist
regime. There is an Interpreting Decision # 4/ 1991 of the Supreme Court
of Bulgaria, based on 12 of these cases.
Ruse, Bulgaria 1987 - 1989
? Maintained general litigation practice with concentration in civil law, family law, and real estate law.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
? Bulgarian Bar Association (1987-Present) – member of Sofia Bar Association
COMMUNITY SERVICE
? International Polling Supervisor for OSCE at the first ever free Local
Elections in Kosovo, October, 2000
? International Polling Supervisor for OSCE at the Local Elections
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 2000
? Volunteer Coordinator and Advisor of the Bulgarian Orphanage and
Medical Relief Fund, Hanover, PA, USA. Up to now the fund has donated medical
equipment, medicines and consumer product food and clothes to the hospitals
in Rousse and Razgrad as well as in the orphanages in Razgrad, Rousse,
Dobrich, Silistra, Strahilovo, Osenets, 1993- Present
? International Polling Supervisor for OSCE at the General Elections
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, September, 1998
? International Polling Supervisor for OSCE at the Local Elections
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, September, 1997
? Leader of the Regional Election Campaign for Razgrad Region of
Petar Stoyanov - primary presidential elections of the
United Democratic Forces, June 1996
? Leader of the Regional Election Campaign for Razgrad Region of the
ex-President Petar Stoyanov - presidential elections, October, 1996
? Personal contribution for founding English Language Public Library
in the Informational Center in BAFECR Club in Razgrad, October 1995
? Legal Advisor of BAFECR, Razgrad, May 1990 - 1995
? Secretary of the Razgrad Regional Election Commission, nominated
by the oposition - first free Parliamentary and Local Elections, June,
1990
SEMINARS - TRAININGS - CONFERENCES
? Strategic Public Sector Negotiation Training Program, Raleigh,
North Carolina, RTI International, May 2002
? Regulatory Impact Analysis, organized by SIGMA Project of OECD, November
2001
? Mediation and Conflict Resolution, organized by LGI, conducted by
Colleen Durocher, June 2001
? Training of Trainers (TOT), organized by LGI, conducted by Ed Comstock
(MSI), Sofia, November 2000
? Seminars on Banking, Debtor-Creditor Relations and Bankruptcy, organized
by the United Bulgarian Bank, 1995-1996
? Seminars on Municipal and Mass Privatization - USAID, Barentz Group,
Plovdiv and Sofia, 1994-1995
? "Bulgarian Project" - seminars on Mediation and Conflict Resolution,
organized by BAFECR, Razgrad and conducted by the Center for Creative Justice,
Amis, Iowa, USA, and Barbara Mathias, Mid-America Leadership Group, 1992-1994
? International Conference "Ethnic Tolerance on Local Level", organized
by NDI, USA, Sofia, April 1993
PRESENTATIONS
? Legislative Process – Parliamentary System: Comparison with
the U.S. Bicameral System; Overview of Drafting; Ethics and Politics of
Legislative Drafting; Policy Reform - at the Legislative Drafting Courses
at the Institute for Public Administration and European Integration – May
2001 - April 2003
? "Implementing Policy Change – Bulgarian lessons learned” at the Retreat
of USAID Local Government Programs in Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia -
Ohrid, Macedonia, September 29 - October 1, 2000
? "Facing the challenges in Bulgarian society in transition - US support
on all levels of change - legislature, local and regional institution building,
a partnership approach" at the Pennsylvania District Kiwanis Convention,
August 12, 2000 in Williamsport, PA, USA. The Ambassador to the USA Philip
Dimitrov and H. Kenneth Hill, Retired USA Ambassador to Bulgaria, presented
Bulgaria to the Convention. Robert and Elizabeth Bittinger, founding members
of the Bulgarian Orphanage and Medical Relief Fund, presented the Pilot
Program for Bulgaria "Adopt an Orphanage".
? "Policy Reform - Bulgarian Lessons Learned" and "Negotiation Skills”
at the Seminar on Lobbying of the Foundation Multi-Ethnic Initiative, June
2000
? "Multi-Ethnic Communication - Bulgarian Experience" at The Class
of Honor, class of Cross Cultural Management of Professor Sheila Puffer,
Ph.D., College of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Boston,
MA, USA, April 1998
? "Presenting Bulgaria" - guest-speaker at Rotary Clubs Meetings, Hanover,PA,
Littletown, PA, USA , September 1993 and May 1997
? "The Young People of Bulgaria" - guest-speaker at a Meeting of Students
Groups of Volunteers, Hanover, PA, USA, May 1997
? "Elections and Elections Procedures" - trainer at the Pre-election
Training of the volunteers of BAFECR, Razgrad, 1990-1997
? "Civil Rights" - trainer at the seminars of BAFECR, Razgrad, 1990-1995