Berkley Center

Joanne Gleason is the associate director of the Population Council’s Reproductive Health program based in Washington, DC. Gleason has been working with the Council since 1989, initially managing the reproductive health and family planning program for Latin America and the Caribbean (1989-1993), and subsequently for sub-Saharan Africa (1994-1998). In these roles, she provided operational support for more than 200 projects, focusing on reproductive health, post-abortion care, family planning and contraception, breastfeeding, female genital cutting, and HIV and AIDS. From 1999 to 2008, Gleason served as administrator for the USAID-funded global Frontiers in Reproductive Health program, supporting Council efforts in LAC, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Gleason has worked and traveled extensively in more than 35 countries throughout the developing world. She holds a master's degree in international studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a bachelor's degree in foreign languages and international economics.