Anya Cumberland

Anya Cumberland has 15 years of experience in elections, democracy, and international affairs, including managing and implementing democracy and governance programs in more than 20 countries across Europe and Eurasia (E&E), including the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. She also supported and co-led technical election assistance programs focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Currently serving as the regional director for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) E&E team, Cumberland is responsible for the overall design, implementation, evaluation, quality control, and general management of IFES’s programs in the region. She possesses deep expertise in the E&E region, extensive management experience, and vital institutional knowledge. In her various capacities working for IFES, under her leadership and management, the team implemented a number of programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development; Global Affairs Canada; the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the Government of the United Kingdom; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; and the European Union, among other donors. As a member of the senior leadership team, she has contributed to a wide array of organizational initiatives, including strategic planning efforts, knowledge management initiatives, and human relations efforts to support and develop organizational culture.

She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in English from York College. She is fluent in English, Russian, and Ukrainian.