Joshua Abrams

Joshua Abrams is the current Regional Director for Eurasia Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Joshua has over 15 years of experience working in the field of international development and has worked extensively in Russia, Central Asia, and the Eurasian region.

Abrams began their career as an Outreach Coordinator for the Eurasia Foundation, working in Central Asia from January 2002 to July 2003. Joshua then transitioned to IREX, where they served as the Director of the Civic Advocacy Initiative from September 2004 to July 2006. In this role, Abrams was responsible for leading a 4-year, $7,500,000 USAID project aimed at improving civic engagement with authorities throughout Russia. Joshua also designed and led the technical assistance that helped grantees build skills and expertise as self-sustaining advocacy organizations.

From November 2006 to July 2008, Abrams served as the Chief of Party for the Civil Society Support Program at IREX. In this role, they managed a staff of six and disbursed approximately $900,000 per year in grants for projects aimed at improving the quality of life for Russian citizens. Joshua also organized conferences and training seminars for all grantees and stakeholders to share best practices and communicate with government officials.

In their current position as Regional Director for Eurasia Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Abrams is responsible for leading the organization’s efforts to reduce tobacco use in Eurasian countries. Joshua has been instrumental in developing and implementing strategies to reduce tobacco consumption among youth in the region and has helped to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Joshua Abrams has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Indiana University Bloomington in International Environmental Policy. Joshua also has a Master of Arts (M.A.) from Indiana University Bloomington in Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies. Their Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is from Bard College in Environmental Studies and Russian Studies. Joshua attended Universidade de Coimbra for a Summer School in Global Trade and Human Rights. Joshua also studied Russian Language and Literature at Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia. Lastly, they attended Bronx High School of Science.

Joshua Abrams works with Roxanne Paisible - Associate Director, Advocacy, Yolonda Richardson - Executive Vice President, and Danny McGoldrick - Vice President. Joshua Abrams reports to Matthew Myers, President.