Guide to Specialists

Rusty Barber
Director of Iraq Programs

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E-mail: rbarber@usip.org

Languages: Russian, French, Urdu

Rusty Barber serves as USIP's Director of Iraq Programs. Prior to that, he was chief of party for USIP’s mission in Baghdad, where he managed a staff of Iraqi program specialists responsible for implementation and oversight of the Institute’s projects and grant programs in Iraq. Prior to coming to USIP in March 2007, Barber served as a political officer in the Foreign Service, holding posts in Central and South Asia and Europe. As a member of the U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, he was responsible for Central Asia and national minorities policies. In that capacity, Barber helped lead the organization’s response to political instability in Kyrgyzstan in 2005. From 2003 to 2004, he served in Pakistan, overseeing the embassy’s evaluation of Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts.

From 1990 to 2001, he was a founding partner and president of Voyageur East Company, a successful global import and trade consulting company focused on developing manufacturing resources in transitioning economies. The company, still in existence, maintains operations throughout Eastern Europe and the Far East.

Rusty holds a B.A. in Russian language with a concentration in government from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.