U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

USCRI Staff

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Lavinia Limón
President of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
Lavinia Limón has more than 30 years of experience working on behalf of refugees and immigrants. Prior to joining USCRI in August of 2001, Ms.Limon was Director of the Center for the New American Community, a project of the National Immigration Forum. During the Clinton Administration, Ms. Limon served as the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of Health and Human Services, designing and implementing programs to assist newly arriving refugees in achieving economic and social self-sufficiency. She served simultaneously as the Director of the Office of Family Assistance for four years, helping to devise policies and strategies for implementing national welfare reform. Ms. Limon was previously the Executive Director of the International Institute of Los Angeles.

Lee Williams
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Lee Williams joined USCRI as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in August 2009. Prior to joining, Lee was the Executive Director of the International Institute of Akron (Ohio), a USCRI partner agency, for two years. Lee's early career was in client services and international banking. He was Vice President of the Morgan Stanley Trust Company, Vice President of the Deutsche Bank Global Institutional Services and Managing Principal of Capco-a capital markets company. Mr. Williams holds a Graduate Certificate of Non-Profit Management from Case Western Reserve University, a Master's degree in International Management from The Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bs.L from Georgetown University in Arabic.

SENIOR STAFF
Peter Limón
Director of Field Offices
As the Director of Field Offices, Mr. Limón is responsible for the operational, financial and personnel management of USCRI field offices in Vermont, New York, North Carolina, and Michigan while standardizing best practices in all locations. Mr. Limón has over 25 years of experience in business management, investment banking, financial services, telecommunications and customer service. Mr. Limón previous work experience includes ownership and operation of two businesses, a financial services company and hospitality business in San Clemente, California. Mr. Limón has designed and managed several international communications projects in Africa, South America and Asia. Mr. Limón received his Bachelors degree from the University of California, Irvine.

Rachel M. O’Hara
Director of Refugee Resettlement and Employment
Ms. O’Hara is responsible for the management and supervision of USCRI’s Reception and Placement, Matching Grant, and Financial Literacy programs which support the resettlement and employment of newcomers arriving through the USCRI network. Ms. O’Hara has several years of experience supervising both domestic and international refugee resettlement programming. Prior to joining USCRI, Ms. O'Hara worked as a Field Team Leader for Joint Voluntary Agency in Nairobi, Kenya coordinating refugee processing at sites throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and earlier as a reporter with the East African Standard, a daily newspaper in Nairobi. She holds a Master of International Service degree from American University. Ms. O’Hara spent four years working and studying in Kenya and speaks conversational Kiswahili.

Koula Papanicolas
Graphic Design and Production Manager
Ms. Papanicolas is responsible for design and production of USCRI's monthly Refugee Reports, annual World Refugee Survey, issue papers, annual reports, and brochures. She previously worked for the National Federation of Independent Business. She received a Publications Production Certificate from George Washington University and studied graphic design at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. She is fluent in Greek.

Alison Seiler
Director of Administration
Ms. Seiler implements the personnel policies and the overall administration of the agency. During her career Ms. Seiler has served as an Executive Assistant to the International Finance Corporation in Washington D.C., Gulf & Western Engineering and Advanced Technology in Pennsylvania, the United Nations Environment Program in Geneva, Switzerland and Nairobi, Kenya, and The Franklin Mint in London. Ms. Seiler graduated from North-East Essex College. She has lived in Germany and Japan, is a naturalized American, and speaks French and German fluently.

Tricia Swartz
Director of the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children
Ms. Swartz oversees the Center, which provides pro bono legal, health and social services for vulnerable migrating children. Her experience includes more than 15 years experience in the nonprofit and legal fields. She has a MA degree in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a JD from the State University of New York, and a BA from North Carolina State University.

Sarah Petrin Williamson
Advisor for International Program Development
Ms. Williamson rejoins USCRI to focus on the development of new international programs. She previously served as USCRI's Director of Government Relations and Spokesperson from 2004 to 2007. During the 2008 presidential election, she served as an advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Foundation. Sarah has an operational background managing humanitarian programs in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She holds a Master's in Refugee Studies from Oxford and a Bachelor's in International Relations, French, and African Studies from Gordon College.

STAFF
Goli Amin
Senior Program Officer--Refugee Healthy Marriage Program
Ms. Amin is responsible for the Refugee Healthy Marriages Program which provides communication and problem solving workshops to support resettled families at 7 field and partner agencies. She is the editor of "Relationship Enhancement for Refugees and Immigrants," an illustrated participant workbook. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ms. Amin brings six years of experience in direct practice in the areas of mental health and child welfare. She has also worked in Venezuela developing social services for refugees and victims of political violence. Ms. Amin received her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware. She is an immigrant from Iran and speaks Farsi and Spanish.

Saba Berhane
Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Ms. Berhane works as a Program Officer supporting sites that coordinate the Reception and Placement Program. She has over eight years of refugee-related experience and knowledge in the areas of overseas refugee assistance, processing, and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement programs. Prior to joining USCRI, Ms. Berhane served as the Senior Program Associate with Ethiopian Community Development Council in Virginia, coordinating an annual national conference on African Refugees; public education and outreach on refugee issues; and providing grants management and technical assistance to Community Based Organizations and resettlement sites. She holds a B.A. in Economics and a Minor in Marketing from Old Dominion University. She is fluent in Amharic.

Megan Bracy
Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Ms. Bracy works as a Program Officer for USCRI’s Reception and Placement program. Prior to joining USCRI, she worked for the International Institute of New Hampshire (IINH) where for over four years she served in multiple positions, Employment Coordinator, Director of Resettlement and Social Services and interim Site Director. While employed at IINH, she served on multiple advisory boards and committees, and received the “40 under Forty” award for leadership. She holds a B.A. in Women Studies from the University of New Hampshire and is completing her M.A. from the School for International Training in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management. Ms. Bracy is currently studying Swahili.

Sarah Cady
Senior Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Ms. Cady supports partner agencies in the Reception and Placement Program. Prior to working at USCRI HQ, Ms. Cady worked with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in New York City as a Program Associate supporting resettlement around the United States. She has also worked as a refugee Case Manager/Job Developer in USCRI’s Albany field office and as an Americorps member with the International Rescue Committee in Baltimore, Maryland. Ms. Cady received a dual B.A. in International Relations and French Language, Literature and Culture from Syracuse University in New York State. She studied in Strasbourg, France and is proficient in French.

Emily Dahl
Senior Operations and Development Assistant
Ms. Dahl provides general office support and assistance to the Development program. She is responsible for donor relations and State Charitable registrations. Prior to working with USCRI, she has worked in sales and consulting. Ms. Dahl received her B.A. from St. Olaf College in Studio Art and Women’s Studies. She speaks some Spanish and Russian.

Tracey Garner
Accountant
Mrs. Garner focuses on USCRI’s field offices financial operation as part of the Finance team. Before joining USCRI in 2001, Mrs. Garner worked at the local television station, WTTG-Fox Channel 5 as the Assistant Account Executive for 6 years. Mrs. Garner has worked in the accounting field in the public and non-profit sectors for over 18 years.

Susan Grodsky
Grants Writer
Ms. Grodsky's relationship with USCRI goes back to 2003, when she began copy-editing contributions to the World Refugee Survey. She has been a writer and editor for over 25 years, working with software companies, government agencies, and individuals. She has designed and written software documentation, edited dissertations, and managed technical newsletters. She was also webmaster for the Usability Professionals Association website (DC chapter) and president of the local chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). She holds a BA from Grinnell College and an MLS from the University of Maryland.

Ajla Grozdanic
Internet Communications Coordinator
Ms. Grozdanic is responsible for developing and growing a constituency that supports refugees and immigrants. She will be creating online features that help connect people to the plight of the refugees and immigrants that USCRI serves. During her career in mainstream media, Ms. Grozdanic has served as an editor for a national women’s magazine, First, and a long-term contributor for BudgetTravel.com. Her work has also been featured in a variety of publications, including MSNBC.com, The Brooklyn Paper, and Harper’s magazine. Ms. Grozdanic holds a M.A. in Journalism from New York University and a B.A. in International Studies, German, and Spanish from Miami University. She speaks Serbo-Croatian, German and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Ruth Hailu
Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Ms. Hailu works as a Program Officer for the Reception and Placement Program. She supervises the USCRI Reception and Placement processing unit, which supports the successful generation of family reunification cases and the resettlement of refugee cases. Prior to joining USCRI, she worked with Doctors without Borders, first as a logistics administrator and later as a project coordinator. Over the past six years, she has been posted in several South Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ms. Hailu speaks Tigrinya.

Jessica Hansen
Program Officer – Supporting the Successful Integration of Burundian Refugees
Ms. Hansen is a Program Officer on the Supporting the Successful Integration of Burundian Refugees program. Prior to joining USCRI, she was a Program Officer for Mercy Corps, a Program Specialist for the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (part of the International Rescue Committee), and a Program Assistant for Medecins Sans Frontieres. She also interned with UNHCR’s DC office and the Centre for Refugee Research in Australia. Ms. Hansen’s field work has focused primarily on gender-based violence against displaced populations in Southeast Asia and East Africa. She holds a MSW in International Social Development with a focus on refugees and forced migration from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and a BA in International Politics from the University of Central Oklahoma. She studied abroad as an undergraduate at the University of Leicester, UK. She currently works as a volunteer to support youth in Lugufu refugee camp in Tanzania and speaks Thai, French, and a basic degree of Amharic, Japanese, and German.

Judith Harris
IOM Senior Loan Collector
A member of USCRI's IOM (International Office of Migration) Loan Collection Department, Ms. Harris handles incoming and outgoing collection calls. She assists in educating refugees about how credit works and the importance of establishing and maintaining good credit. Ms. Harris previously worked at Woodward and Lothrop 25 in Collections.

Sherjeel Islam
Database Developer/Administrator
Mr. Sherjeel is responsible for maintenance, development and design of USCRI’s in-house databases. He previously worked for NSS Incorporated as Database Administrator/Developer. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology. He has a wide range of technical expertise and several certifications. He is a Microsoft Certified IT Professional in Database Administrator and Technology Specialist in SQL Server 2005 and .Net Framework 2.0 (Web Applications). Mr. Islam is a native of Pakistan and speaks Urdu, Hindi and Panjabi.

Heather Joseph
Matching Grant Program Officer
Ms. Joseph provides support to USCRI’s Matching Grant Program as a Program Officer. Prior to joining USCRI, she managed the Central Asia program for the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative. She has also worked for the International Organization for Migration in Vienna, Austria and Almaty, Kazakhstan as Program Development and Project Manager, managing projects in Central Asia and conducting field-based research on IDPs and refugee crises. Ms. Joseph holds a B.A. degree in Cross-Cultural Studies from Toccoa Falls College and a Master’s degree in Russian and Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington. She has lived in Austria, Kazakhstan, and Russia. She is proficient in Russian, and has a working knowledge of German.

Nina Keres
Immigration Program Coordinator
Ms. Keres coordinates client intakes and pro bono representation for immigrant children at the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. She has a diverse background in child welfare, international aid and multicultural education. She has served as a Program Officer for International Adoptions at the Helsinki Metropolitan Social Services in Finland and as a Liaison Officer for the Service Center for Development Cooperation, an aid organization, in Mozambique. She has also worked at the Hewlett Foundation in Washington, DC and at the World Food Program in Mozambique with displaced flood victims. Ms. Keres has a teaching degree and has specialized in multicultural education and communications. She is fluent in Finnish, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and German.

Aek B. Kshatry
Junior Accountant
As an Accountant, Mr. Kshatry focuses on USCRI’s field offices financial operations as part of USCRI’s Finance team. Aek B. Kshatry worked as auditor and accountant for 13 years for the State of Wisconsin, Nepal Electricity Corporation, US federal, UNDP and UNCHR funded projects in Nepal. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Accountant in India. He is originally from Nepal, lived in India, and speaks Nepali and Hindi.

James Mumo Kyalo
Grants Analyst
Mr. Kyalo handles grants management, accounts receivable and general ledger transactions as the grants analyst at USCRI. He also prepares monthly financial reports, bank reconciliation, audits schedules and budgets. Prior to working at USCRI, Mr. Kyalo worked for Postbank, Kenya as a regional accountant for nine years, then as an accountant/office manager for New World Radio, Inc. in Virginia. He received a diploma in Accounting from Mombasa Tech University, and degrees from Kenya Methodist University and the Catholic University of America. Currently, he is studying for a CPA license at the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business. Mr. Kyalo is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Washington DC chapter. He speaks Swahili, and several other East African languages.

Madelyn C. Leeke
Program Officer
Ms. Leeke has lead responsibility for USCRI's Preferred Communities program. She has a diverse background in law, public finance, and securities and commodities regulation. She earned a B.A. in French from Morgan State University in 1986, J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1989, and Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991. She speaks French and Spanish.

Priscilla Loperfido
Junior Accountant
Ms. Loperfido’ main responsibilities as a Junior Accountant include processing payroll, accounts payable, purchase orders, and accounts receivable. Ms. Loperfido’s previous work experience includes American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) as Staff Accountant and DC PHP (Sawco) as Office Manager. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Union Education of Brasilia and she has completed coursework at Hunter College, International English Language Institute in New York. Ms. Loperfido is originally from Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese.

Ashley Mahood
Senior Matching Grant Program Officer
Ms. Mahood provides support to USCRI’s Matching Grant program. Prior to her work at USCRI, she coordinated the Matching Grant Program at the Catholic Community Services Refugee Center in Washington, D.C., and served as a caseworker and job developer. She has also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa, working on income generating projects and micro-finance. She has a Bachelor’s degree of Economics from the University of Virginia. Ms. Mahood is proficient in French.

Masady Mani
IOM Loan Collector
A member of USCRI's International Office of Migration (IOM) Loan Collection Department, Ms. Mani handles new, active, and delinquent loans as well as incoming and outgoing collection calls. She also works closely with customers, replying to all requests. Ms. Mani has a B.A. in Art from Royal University of Fine Art (Phnom Penh, Cambodia), and she also has a certificate in Office Technology (Montgomery College, Maryland). She speaks fluent Khmer.

Sunil Mathur
Comptroller
Mr. Mathur monitors the processing of accounts payable, accounts receivable and general Ledger transactions, prepares monthly financial reports, pension and other benefit payments, and federal reports, and also assists in yearly audit in preparing budget and proposals. Mr. Mathur has worked as an accountant in the for-profit and non-profit sectors since 1988. He has a B.S. in Business Administration, specialization in Accounting, from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has lived in India and speaks Hindi and Urdu.

Catherine McAvoy
Program Officer--Reception and Placement
Ms. McAvoy works as a Program Officer for the Reception and Placement Program. Prior to joining USCRI, Ms. McAvoy worked in India, creating and evaluating social service programs for orphans and vulnerable children. She has served two years in the Peace Corps, working on education programming in Madagascar. Ms. McAvoy has also spent two years as a case manager for at-risk and adjudicated youth. She received her MSW from the University of Maryland and her BA from Hofstra University. She speaks conversational Malagasy.

Sara McDowell
Senior Immigration Attorney
Ms. McDowell is the Senior Immigration Atthorney for the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. In this capacity, she works on legal and advocacy issues pertaining to migrating children nationwide. Ms. McDowell has worked in immigraton law for over seven years. She was previously an Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC), where she represented unaccompanied children, families, and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking in removal proceedings. She has also practiced immigration law with firms in New York and Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Le Moyne College, in Syracuse, New York, and her Juris Doctorate from Villanova Law School. Ms. McDowell is admited to practice in Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Jennifer Micker
Program Assistant
Ms. Micker is the Program Assistant for the Preferred Communities and Supporting the Successful Integration of Burundian Refugees programs. She earned a B.A. in Spanish from Villanova University, and studied abroad at the Universidad de Cádiz and Universidad de Sevilla. Prior to joining USCRI, Ms. Micker served as an AmeriCorps volunteer at the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture in Chicago, IL. She speaks fluent Spanish and beginning French.

Wony Pak
Senior Network Administrator
Mr. Pak is responsible for the ongoing maintenance, development, and support of network and computing platform, and for the design and management of internet and network security. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Pak worked as a Network Engineer and System Integrator at various companies including Technology Automation Management Inc, Comstor Inc., and RHI. He has completed Local Area Network study at Computer Learning Center in 1994 and has completed various IT training and certifications including MCSE, CNE, CCSA. Studied Music Composition at the University of New Orleans. He previously lived in Seoul, South Korea and speaks English and Korean.

Elizabeth (Libby) Park
Matching Grant Program Officer
Ms. Park provides support for USCRI's Matching Grant Program. She offers technical assistance to network affiliates, database support and development, and works on expense processing within the program. Ms. Park is a graduate of Tufts University, receiving her Bachelor's degree in International Relations as well as Peace and Justice Studies. She speaks Spanish.

Serban Popescu
Program Specialist--Reception and Placement
Mr. Popescu’s main duties include collection, review, and submission of family reunification sponsorship documents from USCRI network agencies participating in the U.S. State Department Reception & Placement program, liaising with the Refugee Processing Center, Overseas Processing Entities, and affiliates, and processing assurance forms. Mr. Popescu began employment with USCRI as an Administrative Assistant, coordinating human resources for USCRI headquarters and field offices, and providing primary support to the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining USCRI, he worked as a Research Assistant at Streit Council for a Union of Democracies in Washington, DC. Serban received his M.A. in Nationalism Studies from the Central European University, and B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Bucharest. Serban speaks French and Romanian.

Artelia Robinson
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Robinson is responsible for responding to human resources related inquiries and providing administrative support to the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Robinson previously worked for Illume Communications and American Friends Service Committee as Program Assistant. Ms. Robinson is currently completing a certificate program in Leadership of Non-Profit Organizations at the College of Notre Dame in Maryland. She also received a B.A. degree in International Studies from Towson University in Maryland. She has studied in Guanajuato, Mexico and is proficient in Spanish.

Davone Silaphet
Program Specialist--Reception and Placement
Davone Silaphet has worked at USCRI since 1994 as a program specialist. She handles voucher payments for partner agencies, reviews reports from agencies, and serves as back-up for refugee travel, assurances, and transfers. Prior to coming to USCRI, she spent 14 years at the International Institute of San Francisco as a Resettlement Coordinator and Immigration Caseworker and completed advance paralegal training through the Immigration Legal Resource Center. She has a Diploma and Brevet D'etudes du Second Degree in General Education from College - Lycee Luang Prabang, Laos through Academie de Montpeller - France and her Baccarauleate from Lycee Vientiane, Laos. She was a medical student at the University of Medicine in Donesk, USSR and studied refugee issues at York University, Toronto, Canada. Ms. Silaphet speaks Lao, Thai, French, Russian, and English.

Tabassum Siraj
Matching Grant Program Officer
Ms. Siraj provides support to USCRI as an officer in USCRI's Matching Grant Program. She began at USCRI as a refugee protection researcher and writer for the 2008 World Refugee Survey. Ms. Siraj earned a double Master's in Public Policy and Arab Studies, along with a certificate in Refugee Studies from Georgetown University. She previously taught English in Chicago and Saudi Arabia. She has lived in India and Saudi Arabia and speaks, reads, and writes Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu.

Lauren Trinka
Program Assistant--Reception and Placement
As a Program Assistant for the Reception and Placement program, Ms. Trinka is responsible for coordinating the travel arrangements for newly arrived refugee clients. Before working at USCRI, Ms. Trinka served as a Research Intern at Interaction with its NGO Policy and Research Analysis team. Ms. Trinka has a dual B.A. degree in Global Justice and Policy and Spanish with a concentration in Latin American Studies from James Madison University. She is currently completing a Graduate Certificate program in Management of International Non-Governmental Organizations. Ms. Trinka has studied in Spain at the University of Salamanca and is proficient in Spanish.

David Vanca
Program Assistant--Reception and Placement
Mr. Vanca works as a Program Assistant for the Reception and Placement Program. He majored in International Politics with a focus on trans-state actors at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Until 2004, he worked as a journalist for the Czech newspaper, Lidove Noviny, covering world and international news. Prior to joining USCRI, Mr. Vanca worked as a research assistant in Streit Council, as an assistant to the press secretary in the Embassy of the Czech Republic, Washington DC and also interned with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Mr. Vanca is fluent in Czech and Slovak and proficient in Arabic and German.

Sarah Petrin Williamson
Advisor for International Program Development
Sarah rejoins USCRI to focus on the development of new international programs. She previously served as USCRI's Director of Government Relations and Spokesperson from 2004 to 2007. During the 2008 presidential election, she served as advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Foundation. Sarah has an operational background managing humanitarian programs in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She holds a Master's degree in Refugee Studies from Oxford University and a Bacher's degree in International Relations, French and African Studies from Gordon College.

FELLOWSHIPS
Maureen Contreni
EJW AmeriCorps Legal Fellow
Ms. Contreni is an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow with the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. She received her B.A. degree from American University and her J.D. from the University of Maryland. During law school, she represented asylum seekers and juveniles in her school's immigration clinic; volunteered at Catholic Charities and the CAIR Coalition; and held clerkships at the Baltimore Immigration Court, Berlin & Associates, and Maggio & Kattar. Prior to law school, Ms. Contreni worked at the Internatonal Rescue Committe and USCRI. Sh also earned a M.A. degree in History from the University of Maryland. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Stacy Jones
EJW AmeriCorps Legal Fellow
Stacy Jones is an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. She received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law in 2008, after earning a B.A. in Spanish and International Relations from Lehigh University in 2005. At WCL, Stacy served as a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic, working on international human rights law and immigration cases. During her years in law school, she also worked as an intern in the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Due Process of Law Foundation in Washington, D.C., and Chile Transparente in Santiago. She participated in WCL's Summer Program in Chile and Argentina, and also studied for a semester in Alcala de Henares, Spain, as un undergraduate student. She is fluent in Spanish, has a working knowledge of French, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.