Gretchen Birkle joined the USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia in August 2017, where she serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator. In this capacity, she oversees U.S. development policy in the region and a portfolio of bilateral and regional programs in democracy and governance, energy security and economic growth. Ms. Birkle brings significant leadership and management experience in the public and private sectors, and in international development.

Prior to USAID, Ms. Birkle served overseas and at Washington, DC headquarters with the International Republican Institute (IRI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advance democracy and good governance globally.

Ms. Birkle’s public sector experience includes work as a senior coordinator in the Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. She also served as a board representative for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Ms. Birkle was a legislative assistant to Senator Arlen Specter, where she covered foreign affairs, defense and foreign operations appropriations subcommittees, and energy issues.

Ms. Birkle graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies with a MA in Soviet Studies and International Economics, and from the Pennsylvania State University with a BA in International Politics and a minor in Russian Area Studies.