Marla Swanson has been with the Open Society Institute Women's Program since June 2000, currently as senior program officer. She is responsible for managing grant-making and other activities globally, with a special focus on the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Central and East Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa. Over the years, Swanson has assisted with overall program strategy development, donor partnerships, and building organizational capacity to increase the effectiveness of partner NGOs in over 30 countries. She has also been responsible for developing and managing various regional projects for the program, including a human rights training program for women, in the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, and Afghanistan.

Swanson holds a MA in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, with certificates in Gender and Development and Public Administration, which included advanced coursework in the Russian language. During that time, she interned with the International Foundation for Election Systems to work on civic education programming in Central Asia, and volunteered with the Global Fund for Women. Additional graduate level classes include, peace education, conflict processes and resolution, and project management. She has studied Russian, French, Romanian, and Kazakh. Her undergraduate degree is in English with minors in TESOL and Theatre Arts.

Her previous professional experience focused mainly on international education, including teaching, training, curriculum development, advising, university admissions, and recruitment. From 1994–1998, she lived, worked, and traveled in the former Soviet Union, including two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Kazakhstan. Her work there included co-founding a resource center for university students and teachers, and organizing projects for the British Council. In Moldova, she worked for a private Soros-funded project for two years, which in addition to teaching, included assisting local companies with translation, editing, public relations, and marketing.