Darra Dirska is a Branch Chief in the Office of Private Sector Exchange Administration (OPA) within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State. Her portfolio includes programs in the intern, trainee, and au pair categories. Darra previously spent three years working as a Compliance Officer in the Office of Exchange Coordination and Compliance, also within ECA, prior to assuming her current role in OPA. Before joining the Department, Darra spent more than a decade working with J-1 visa sponsoring organisations where she was the Responsible Officer for programs in the Intern and Trainee categories. In these positions she was responsible for embassy liaison, management of recruitment and placement services, regulatory compliance, and university relations. Darra graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and is an alumna of the Teaching Assistant Program in France.