EPF Staff

George Zarubin has worked with the Foundation since 2000, when he served as the Regional Director for the Foundation’s South Caucasus Cooperation Program. During his five years with Eurasia Foundation in Washington, he served as Executive Director and then Vice President of Program Development, during which time he coordinated the Foundation’s fundraising activities throughout Eurasia and managed special program initiatives in Iran, the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Zarubin returned to the South Caucasus in 2007 to lead the localization of the Foundation’s offices in the region. From 1995-1999, Mr. Zarubin was the Executive Director of Soros Foundation

gzarubin@epfound.org

Ketevan Vashakidze has held a variety of teaching, consulting and management positions both in Georgia and internationally. Ketevan has consulted the Government of Georgia, the World Bank Group, UNDP Regional Office in South-East Asia, UNICEF in NYC & Bolivia as well as various NGOs and universities in Georgia on various development issues. Ketevan holds a Master’s degree in international development and policy analysis from Columbia University. She has also undertaken Ph.D. studies in social, economic and political geography at Tbilisi State and Edinburgh Universities. Ketevan is an adjunct professor at Tbilisi State University, where she has been teaching courses in human geography, policy analysis, and international development since 1997. Ketevan is a chairperson of Grant-Makers East Forum, a group that promotes development of civil society in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia by providing a forum to discuss effectiveness of grant-making, exchange experience, get inspired and encourage new donor activity in the region.

kvashakidze@epfound.ge

nkhurtsidze@epfound.ge

Bakari was born and raised in Tbilisi. In 1989 he received a degree in Auto Engineering from the State Technical Institute of Georgia. Later, he worked as a manager at a computer firm where he became a self-tutored computer whiz. Bakari joined the Foundation in 2000 as an office and technical manager. Bakari spends his free hours watching movies and listening to classic rock. He especially loves Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.

baleksidze@epfound.ge

Zaal Anjaparidze was born and raised in Tbilisi. Zaal received his master’s from the Georgian Institute of Mass Media and Public Communications in 2004. Prior to joining the Eurasia Foundation in 2005, Zaal received journalism and public relations training from the US-based PR Academy and from IRIS. He has been a journalist for a number of Georgian publications and has worked with various Georgian NGOs. From 1998-2005, Zaal was public information and citizen participation manager at several USAID-funded projects in Georgia. Zaal is also a Georgia contributor to international publications. Zaal’s hobbies include travel and music.

zanjaparidze@epfound.ge

Prior to joining EPF, Tamar worked as a Regional Development Officer for UNDP Kakheti Regional Development Project (2007-2009), among other duties supervising development of Kakheti Regional Development Strategy. Besides, since 1999, Tamar has held a number of teaching positions at Ilia Chavchavadze State University, Center for Social Sciences, and Telavi State University, teaching various courses in Sociology. Recently, Tamar has been involved in several studies of labor emigration from Georgia, serving as a consultant for IOM and CIPDD. Tamar has been publishing regularly, as well as participating in conferences both in Georgia and internationally. Tamar has MA degrees both in Media Studies and Sociology, and Ph.D. in Sociology from Ilia Chavchavadze State University (2008).

tzurabishvili@epfound.ge

Prior to joining Eurasia Partnership Foundation Maia Tavadze has worked for CARE International in the Caucasus/Georgia, where she successfully managed CARE’s innovations Youth Reproductive Health Project by addressing underlying causes of poverty and marginalization. The project’s approach and lessons learned have been selected for presentation at the 15th annual Global Health Council Conference in Washington D.C. and for the Unite For Sight 6th Annual Global Health Conference at Yale University. The manuscript about this project has been also published in International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice “Global Public Health” issued by Columbia University. Maia holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Georgian American Institute of Public Administration (GIPA) and Master’s degree in International Development and Policy from Duke University. Maia is a member of Central Eurasia Leadership Academy since 2004.

mtavadze@epfound.ge

Prior to joining EPF in November 2008 Viktor worked as a deputy head of the Department for Foreign Trade and International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia. Viktor used to work as a consultant in number of projects supported by UNDP, World Bank and other donors. He participated in preparation of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Program of Georgia (EDPRP) and its consecutive progress reports, MDG reports for Georgia and Tbilisi, Human Development Report, etc. After graduation from Tbilisi State University, Faculty of International Law and International Relations in 1997, Viktor worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. He has wife and two children.

vbaramia@epfound.ge

Teimuraz (Kutsa) began working for the Foundation as a driver and was recently promoted to his new position. Prior to joining the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Kutsa worked for the Georgian National Investment Agency and the State United Employment Fund. He graduated from the Institute of Ecology, Environment and Agribusiness.

tgaprindashvili@epfound.ge

Mariam Kakhelashvili graduated from Tbilisi Medical University, Pediatrician Department with honors. In 2003 she was awarded certificate of ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Professional Scheme, UK. In 2007 Mariam attended training in USAID Rules and Regulations provided by APVOFM (Washington DC). Previously she worked for Merlin, a British humanitarian organization, as Finance and Administrative Officer. She has also worked as a CFO for Caucasus Airlines, and as a Project Monitor for the Open Society Georgia Foundation. She was also a lecturer in financial accounting at the Black Sea University.

mkakhelashvili@epfound.ge

Nino Kikodze graduated from the Tbilisi State University and received additional international accounting training from the Georgian Federation of Professional Accountants and Auditors and Ernst&Young. Nino worked in the various international organizations such as UMCOR, World Bank and Mitsubishi Motors before she began to work in the Foundation. She has been promoted several times from administrative assistant to her current position as senior grants manager. In July and October 2002, she was a board member of the International Research & Exchanges Board for the program IATR (Internet Access & Training Program).

nkikodze@epfound.ge

Eter Shaburishvili graduated from Tbilisi State University with a M.A. in Journalism and BA in Law 2000/ 2001.

Prior joining the Foundation, Eto worked as a documents controller in the BP/BTC Technical Compliance Department. She also worked as a grants monitor at UMCOR (United Methodist Committee in Relief), where she monitored financial compliance all UMCOR projects related to infrastructure, agriculture and medicine and micro credits. She joined the Foundation in 2005 as a Grants Manager. Nowadays she is working toward becoming certified as an accountant by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK.

eshaburishvili@pefound.ge

Nino Sutidze joined Eurasia Partnership Foundation a year ago. Before taking the position of a Program Assistant, she served as an Administrative Assistant/receptionist. Nino graduated from Tbilisi State University in the Department of English Language and Literature in 2005 and also holds Cambridge Advanced English certificate. Previously she worked in the private sector, as an assistant to the director and gave private lessons of English as well. During her student years she worked for different interpreters’ offices. Her greatest passion is music and literature. She also enjoys hiking and sightseeing.

nsutidze@epfound.ge

Ana Tvaliashvili joined the Foundation in 2009 as an intern at the position of executive assistant of EPF President. In several months she was offered the full time job of the Administrative assistant/receptionist and later has been promoted to the position of the Program Assistant. Ana is a student at Georgian-American University, department of Business Administration. In 2002-2004 she lived in the United States, California and studied at Monterey High School. In 2006 she attended summer school in Manchester, UK, where she developed her communication skills. In 2007 Ana completed German language course in Erlangen, Germany. She enjoys reading, watching movies and listening to music. Ana also loves skiing.

atvaliashvili@epfound.ge

Mariam Kobalia cooperates with EPF from March 2010. She completed her under graduate studies at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) in 2009 with a major in English language and Literature and minor in Social Work. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Gender Studies at CSS (Center for Social Sciences) at TSU. Mariam previously worked with IREX’s (International Research and Exchanges Board) Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) and besides, she has a year of working experience in the banking sector. In addition to, Mariam cooperates with different organizations as a volunteer with great pleasure. In terms of professional development she has undergone different trainings and courses not only in Georgia but abroad as well. Mariam is currently involved in translation project that provides translation and publication of companion to English literature in Georgian. She is an author of several scientific articles.

mkobalia@epfound.ge