Our Staff
EXECUTIVES
Lavinia Limón
President & Chief Executive Officer 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. Limón was Director of the Center for the New American Community, a project of the National Immigration Forum. During the Clinton Administration, Ms. Limón 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. Limón 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, he was the Executive Director of the International Institute of Akron (Ohio), a USCRI partner agency, for two years. Mr. Williams’ early career was in client services and international banking. He was Vice President of the Morgan Stanley Trust Company, Vice President of 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
Saba Berhane
Director of Refugee Resettlement and Employment
Ms. Berhane oversees the Refugee Resettlement and Employment (RR&E) division that includes the Reception and Placement, Matching Grant, Preferred Communities and Secondary Migration to Stability programs. Previously, Ms. Berhane worked as a Senior Program Officer serving as the primary point of contact for USCRI's Reception and Placement program and managed the daily activities of the program. She has over ten 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 with a minor in Marketing from Old Dominion University. She is fluent in Amharic.
Jim Farrell
Director of Communications
Jim Farrell joined USCRI as Director of Communications in January 2012. Prior to joining, he was a policy advisor to Govenor Bill Richardson of New Mexico for two and a half years. Mr. Farrell has more than 20 years of experience working in political campaigns, government and non-profit organizations. He served in the Clinton administration as an assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and in the office of intergovernmental affairs at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. He was spokesman and Communications Director for the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone (MN), and holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware.
Jill Kennedy
Director of Development
USCRI’s Director of Development, Jill Kennedy, comes from a comprehensive fundraising background in the reproductive rights arena. She has raised significant funds for nonprofit organizations in Cleveland, Chicago, and Washington, DC. At USCRI, Ms. Kennedy manages the fundraising team and also works with individual, major, corporate, and foundation donors. Additionally, she has expertise in planned giving. Prior to her career as a professional fundraiser, Ms. Kennedy worked as a paramedic. She holds an A.B. from Wellesley College and a Master of Nonprofit Organizations degree from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
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 Iowa, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Vermont and standardizes 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's previous work experience includes ownership and operation of two businesses, a financial services company, and a hospitality business in San Clemente, California. Mr. Limón has designed and managed several international communications projects in Africa, South America, and Asia.
Wony Pak
Director of Management of Information Systems
Mr. Pak is responsible for the ongoing maintenance, development, and support of network and computing platforms 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 completed Local Area Network study at Computer Learning Center in 1994 and has completed various IT training and certifications including MCSE, CNE, CCSA. Mr. Pak studied Music Composition at the University of New Orleans. He previously lived in Seoul, South Korea and speaks English and Korean.
Koula Papanicolas
Graphic Design and Production Manager
Ms. Papanicolas is responsible for design and production of USCRI's monthly Refugee Reports, 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 in the nonprofit and legal fields. She has an M.A. degree in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from the State University of New York, and a B.A. from North Carolina State University.
Ana G. White
Director of Government and Community Relations
Prior to her current position, Ana worked as the Immigration and Refugee Policy Analyst for the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations in Washington, DC. Ana has a Master's degree from the University of California San Diego in Latin American Studies- International Migration. Ana has also worked at the International Migrants Development Fund (FIDMI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). She is originally from Argentina and has recently become a US Citizen.
FIELD OFFICE DIRECTORS
Tawfik Alazem
Director of Detroit Field Office
In July 2007, Tawfik Alazem joined USCRI as the Director of USCRI’s newly opened Detroit, Michigan field office in Dearborn. Since that time, Mr. Alazem has been responsible for the operational and personnel management of the field office. Mr. Alazem administers the Reception and Placement (R&P), Matching Grant (MG), and Secondary Migration to Stability (SMS) programs and oversees office operations and programs delivery to immigrants and refugees who settle in the greater Detroit, Michigan area. Before joining USCRI, Mr. Alazem held several management positions in finance, marketing, sales, and general business management. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is fluent in Arabic.
Dylanna Jackson
Director, International Institute of Erie
Prior to joining the International Institute of Erie in April 2012, Dylanna served as the Director of Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement for the Northern Area Multi-Service Center (NAMS), and as Director of Refugee Resettlement and Educational Programs at the International Institute of Akron (IIA). Throughout her career, Dylanna has carried out a broad range of administrative functions, including grant-writing, program evaluation, fiscal management, volunteer management, and program development. Dylanna earned her BA in English from Kent State University, where she also received certification in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and completed post graduate coursework in conflict management. She is proficient in Spanish and intermediate in Turkish.
Jill Peckenpaugh
Director of Albany Field Office
Ms. Peckenpaugh is the Director of USCRI's Albany field office, which resettles approximately 400 refugees annually, arriving mainly from Burma, Iraq, Bhutan, and various African nations. Prior to joining USCRI, Jill was the Director of Program Management at Cross-Cultural Solutions, an international non-profit volunteering organization. Ms. Peckenpaugh has over 20 years of experience in organizational development, specializing in multicultural populations in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors; this experience serves her well in leading a diverse team of 12 staff members managing seven different federal and state-funded programs. She holds a M.S. in Training and Development from Lesley University, and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Judy Scott
Director of Vermont Field Office
Judy Scott has been Director of USCRI's Vermont field office, the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, since December of 2007. The Vermont field office resettles over 300 refugees annually, most arriving from Bhutan, Burma, Somalia, and Iraq. Ms. Scott administers the Reception and Placement, Wilson/Fish, Matching Grant, Refugee Healthy Marriage, Refugee Social Services, and Vermont Interpretation and Translation Services programs. Her initial involvement with USCRI was as a volunteer, after which she was asked to join the staff to develop a volunteer program. Her previous staff positions with the agency include Direct Service Manager, Coordinator of Community Services, and Coordinator of Volunteer Services. She holds a Master's Degree from the University of Vermont and speaks French. She serves on the Governor's Workforce Equity and Diversity Council.
Valerie Stubbs
Director of Des Moines Field Office
Valerie Stubbs is the Director of the Des Moines field office for USCRI. Ms. Stubbs has served as an advocate for refugee healthcare services and survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Stubbs is a certified alcohol and drug counselor and has served as the coordinator for co-occurring services for gambling addictions, substance abuse, and mental health for multiple counties in Iowa. She has also worked in the mental health department for prison services in Iowa. Ms. Stubbs received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and completed her dual Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Biology at Iowa State University. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Ms. Stubbs has been involved in the volunteer community working towards a great cohesion of services in Des Moines for underserved populations for many years.
Shirley A. Thoms
Director of North Carolina Field Office
Since 2007, Shirley A. Thoms has worked for USCRI as the Director of USCRI’s Raleigh, NC field office, overseeing both state and federal programming including Reception & Placement, Matching Grant, Preferred Communities, Refugee Healthy Marriage, and NC State Refugee Assistance Program and advocating for refugees and immigrants. She has over fifteen years experience working with refugee and immigrant communities. Her career began as an AmeriCorps Access member, working primarily with Bosnian refugees and later included large group resettlement of refugees from Kosovo, Vietnam, Somalia and Hmong from Thailand as a Program Coordinator and Program Manager. Her work has also included assisting in the establishment of the Ethnic Community Empowerment Center, ELT and child care programs as well as residential programs in refugee communities. She currently serves as Chairperson for the North Carolina State Advisor Council, has served on the founding board of several ethnic community based organizations and worked to implement and manage programming for Katrina Evacuees.
STAFF
Abdirahman Ahmed
Program Officer
Abdirahman “A.J.” Ahmed joined USCRI in May of 2010 as Matching Grant Program Officer. Prior to joining, A.J. worked for the Catholic Family Center in Rochester, NY as a Job Counselor and most recently as a Matching Grant Program Specialist in charge of all MG cases in the agency. He lived in Cairo, Egypt, for over nine years, and spent time in East Africa and the Middle East. A.J. holds a Bachelor’s in Communications with a focus on Informatics from the University at Buffalo and two certificates from Millard Fillmore College in System Design and Analysis, and Network Management. He is fluent in Arabic and Somali.
Megan Bracy
Senior Program Officer – Matching Grant
Ms. Bracy works as a Senior Program Officer serving as the primary point of contact for USCRI’s Matching Grant program. Prior to working in this capacity, Ms. Bracy worked for two years as a Post-Arrival Program Officer in USCRI's Reception and Placement program. Before joining USCRI, she worked for the International Institute of New Hampshire (IINH) where for over four years she served in multiple positions - Site Director, Director of Resettlement and Social Services, and Employment Coordinator. 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’s Studies from the University of New Hampshire and has completed Master's level coursework at the School for International Training where she focused on Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management.
Anna Corio
Program Officer - Reception and Placement
Ms. Corio is a Program Officer for the Reception and Placement Program, focusing on pre-arrival allocations and placement. Prior to joining USCRI, Anna served as a Field Team Leader with Church World Service/Resettlement Support Center Nairobi, the Kenya-based overseas processing entity contracted by the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to process refugees throughout sub-Saharan Africa for resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. She has seven years of experience in social services, refugee resettlement, and public health serving at domestic and international community organizations working with immigrants and refugees in Chicago, Denver, on the U.S./Mexico border, and East Africa. Prior to attending graduate school, Anna worked as a Housing Advocate at Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights in Chicago, Illinois where she assisted low-income, disabled individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Anna earned a B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Spanish at DePaul University and received her M.A. in International Development with a certificate in Humanitarian Assistance at the University of Denver's Joseph Korbel School of International Studies. She is currently obtaining a certificate in International Migration Studies from Georgetown University.
Charlotte Corneliusen
Receptionist
As Receptionist, Ms. Corneliusen provides general office support to all staff at USCRI headquarters by ensuring the smooth operation of all administrative functions. Before working at USCRI, Ms. Corneliusen worked for 10 years in film production in Canada and Germany, primarily as a producer's assistant, documentary researcher and graphics designer. While living in Germany, she also worked for the US Army’s Civilians on the Battlefield program as a translator. While living in Canada, she volunteered with Vancouver Rape Relief. She speaks German as well as basic French and Spanish.
Jenelle Eli
Development Officer
Ms. Eli joined USCRI’s Development Department in October 2010 with a focus on Individual Giving and social media. Previously, Ms. Eli served as an Employment Counselor at USCRI's field office, the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, teaching newly-arrived refugees about the American workplace and liaising with local businesses. Prior to joining USCRI, she served as a School Liaison and Case Manager for refugees at Catholic Charities in Pittsburgh. She has also worked with refugees and asylum seekers at the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Center in New Delhi, India and has served as the Program Coordinator for the National Assembly for Wales Internship Program. Ms. Eli holds an M.A. in International Relations from Ohio University. She speaks intermediate Spanish and has studied Hindi, Nepali, and Arabic.
Tim Fahey
Development Officer
As Development Officer, Mr. Fahey provides support to the Development Department with a focus on USCRI’s 100 Year Anniversary celebrations taking place throughout 2011. Mr. Fahey brings expertise from his previous work in the arts and movie production to his fundraising efforts for refugees and immigrants. Before joining the Development Department, Mr. Fahey traveled to the Western Sahara with a USCRI delegation to interview Sahrawi returnees who spent years warehoused in a refugee camp in Tindouf, Algeria.
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.
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.
Kelly Hinde
Program Officer- Matching Grant
Kelly Hinde joined USCRI in March 2012 as a Matching Grant Program Officer. Prior to joining USCRI, Kelly served as an Associate Resettlement Officer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Shousha refugee camp in Tunisia, assisting with the resettlement of refugees who fled Libya. Previously, Kelly was a consultant at the UNHCR Middle East and North Africa regional office, based in Beirut, Lebanon, and a trainee at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Kelly also worked as an Investment Bank Analyst at JPMorgan Chase Bank in New York after she received her B.A. from Boston University with a dual degree in International Relations and Economics. Kelly is proficient in French and is currently advancing her knowledge of Spanish and Arabic.
Judith Hudgens
IOM Senior Loan Specialist
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 for 25 years, in Collections.
Katherine Jones
Program Assistant
Ms. Jones works as a Program Assistant for USCRI's six field offices. In addition, she is the Program Officer for the Citizenship and Integration program in Erie, PA and Raleigh, NC. She holds a B.A. in Geography and Political Science from the University of Vermont and spent a semester abroad studying immigration in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ms. Jones also has experience working with migrant farm workers in rural Maine and Vermont.
Stacy Jones
Staff Attorney
Stacy Jones is a Staff Attorney 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 an undergraduate student. She is fluent in Spanish, has a working knowledge of French, and is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Madelyn C. Leeke
Senior 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
Accountant
Ms. Loperfido handles grants management, accounts receivable and general ledger transactions as the grants analyst at USCRI. She also prepares monthly financial reports, bank reconciliations, audits schedules and budgets. Prior to working at USCRI, Ms. Loperfido worked for American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) as Staff Accountant, and DC PHP (Sawco) as Office Manager, in charge of processing payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UNEB in Brasilia and she has completed coursework at Hunter College, International English Language Institute in New York. Currently, she is studying for a CPA license at NVCC and works as a Realtor at Long and Foster. She speaks Portuguese and is originally from Brazil.
Salvi M. Magilirane
Program Assistant – Reception and Placement
Mr. Magilirane works as a Program Assistant with the Reception and Placement program, specializing in the processing of Refugee Assurance. He earned a B.A. in Global Studies and International Relations with a concentration in African Studies from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Salvi spent seven months in Kigali, Rwanda and completed research on the Rwandan Reconciliation Progress. He also interned for the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice working with the Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project. Salvi speaks fluent French, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi and Spanish and is conversational in Swahili.
Ruslan Maksutov
Program Officer - Matching Grant
Ruslan Maksutov works as a Program Officer for the Matching Grant program. Mr. Maksutov has been working in the field of refugee resettlement since 2008, in the roles of Case Manager, Job Developer, and coordinator of the Matching Grant Program at USCRI Albany. Prior to joining USCRI, he held positions with international organizations and research institutions, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe (OSCE) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), addressing regional cooperation, security and human rights issues. His research on regional security and peace-building efforts in Central Asia was published in 2009 by the Institute of International Affairs Centre for Small State Studies at the University of Iceland. He has management experience as Vice President of a nonprofit organization and Marketing Director of Neotech, Ltd. Mr. Maksutov has a B.A. in American Studies from the American University in Central Asia and an M.A. in Political Science from OSCE Academy. He is an accomplished linguist, speaking Russian, Turkish, Kyrgyz, and Polish.
Jishnu Mangal
Junior System Administrator
Jishnu Mangal is the Junior System Administrator at USCRI. Before joining USCRI, Mr. Mangal worked as a System Analyst in the Department of Social Services, Prince Georges County, Maryland. Mr. Mangal holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics from SNM Institute of Management
and Technology, Kerala, India. He is fluent in Malayalam and Tamil and is also familiar with Hindi and Brazilian Portuguese.
Masady Mani
IOM Loan Specialist
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.
Armond Master
Junior Accountant
Armond joined USCRI as a Junior Accountant for the Finance team. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of the District of Columbia. Armond is fluent in Bengali and has working knowledge of Hindi.
Sunil Mathur
Comptroller
Sunil 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.
Sarah Mazouz
Junior Accountant
Ms. Mazouz manages all aspects of accounting, finances and program grants for three field offices. She also works in coordination with the Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer on different projects as needed. Ms. Mazouz is a CPA candidate. She is also fluent in French and Arabic.
Catherine McAvoy
Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Ms. McAvoy works as a Post-Arrival Program Officer in USCRI’s Reception and Placement program. Her experience includes more than seven years of working with vulnerable youth and children in the United States, India and Africa. Prior to joining USCRI, Ms. McAvoy designed and evaluated child service trainings for social workers in India. She has served in the Peace Corps, working on education programming, youth mentoring and teacher training in Madagascar. Ms. McAvoy received her M.S.W. from the University of Maryland and her B.A. from Hofstra University. She speaks conversational Spanish and Malagasy.
Sara McDowell
Senior Immigration Attorney
Ms. McDowell is the Senior Immigration Attorney 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 immigration 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 admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Kathleen McLaughlin
Development Officer
Ms. McLaughlin joins USCRI as an experienced grant writer and communications professional for international organizations. Prior to assuming the role, she was the Development and Communications Manager at Sister Cities International where she managed federal and foundation grants, sponsorships, and external communications. She has volunteered in camps with refugee women and has researched refugee identity in the West Bank. Ms. McLaughlin holds a B.A. in Theology with a minor in French from Saint Joseph’s University, a M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University, and has studied Gender and Peacebuilding at the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica. She speaks intermediate French and has studied Arabic.
Maria Gabriela Morales
Program Assistant- Post Release
Gabriela is a Program Assistant for Post Release Services in the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. She provides administrative support at headquarters and to the case managers in the field. She previously interned for The National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children in the legal services program. In addition, Gabriela worked as a Volunteer Legal Assistant at Mil Mujeres Legal Services, Development and Communications Intern at The Hovde Foundation, and interned for the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Gabriela received a dual B.A. in International Relations and French from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is multi-lingual and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.
Tiffany Nelms
Program Officer
Tiffany Nelms works as Program Officer for Post Release Services for the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. In this capacity she coordinates services for unaccompanied children reunified with family. Ms. Nelms has worked with unaccompanied children in various capacities including home study and post-release services, advocacy and program management. In addition to her work with unaccompanied children she has worked with immigrant survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence. Ms. Nelms also spent a year in Venezuela serving at-risk youth. She received her M.S.W. from the University of Maryland and her B.S.W. from Salisbury State University. She is proficient in Spanish.
Rissa Obcemea
Program Officer
Rissa Obcemea is a Program Officer for the National Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program under the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. She is responsible for coordinating case management services to survivors of trafficking around the country. Ms. Obcemea has worked with case management issues for five years providing direct services and developing programs. She has also worked on human trafficking issues for four years, beginning with a Fulbright grant to the Philippines to research counseling availability for trafficking victims. Her previous work involved managing programs for domestic violence, human trafficking and torture survivors. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA and Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in New York, NY. Ms. Obcemea is a licensed social worker in Virginia.
Serban Popescu
Program Officer – Reception and Placement
Serban Popescu works as a Program Officer for USCRI’s Reception and Placement program. 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. He later joined the RR&E Division as a Program Specialist, where he worked in the family reunification program and provided back-up to the R&P pre-arrival team. 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
HR/Administration Officer
Ms. Robinson is responsible for managing human resources management and providing support to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Robinson previously worked for Illume Communications as Project Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee as Program Assistant and The Dalai Group as Business Development Intern. Ms. Robinson received a Graduate Certificate in Leadership of Non-Profit Organizations from 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.
Jennifer Schiller
Senior Program Officer - Reception and Placement
Jennifer Schiller oversees the daily operations of the Reception and Placement program. Ms. Schiller joins USCRI from Shelter House where she was the Director for emergency homeless services. In addition to this, Ms. Schiller has overseen local refugee resettlement affiliate offices in Virginia and Maryland for Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services. Ms. Schiller has also supervised local African community centers while at the Ethiopian Community Development Council. Ms. Schiller has had significant experience with grant writing, training and technical assistance and HIV/AIDS services. Ms. Schiller holds a Master’s degree from the George Washington University in Anthropology with a focus on Development and Displacement Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Loyola University Chicago. Ms. Schiller studied Swahili at Howard University and is currently leaning Amharic.
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. In 1996, Ms. Silaphet was deployed to Guam to help JVA Officers to interview Kurdish asylees. 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 advanced 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 Montpellier - France and her Baccalaureate 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.
David Vanca
Program Assistant – Reception and Placement
Mr. Vanca began his employment with USCRI as R&P Program Assistant specializing in the processing of refugee assurances. He is currently working in the R&P family reunification program where he is responsible for processing of Refugee Interest Forms, Lautenberg and Iranian AORs. He also provides back-up to R&P pre-arrival processing unit. Mr. Vanca holds a B.S. from Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University where he majored in International Politics with a focus on trans-state actors. He focused on history and current affairs of the Islamic World and on immigration and integration of Muslims in Europe and in the United States. 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, D.C. and he also interned with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Before coming to the United States Mr. Vanca worked as a journalist for the Czech newspaper, Lidove Noviny, covering world and international news. Mr. Vanca is a native of the Czech Republic and he is fluent in Czech and Slovak and proficient in Arabic and German.
Virginia Weyer
Program Assistant- Reception and Placement
Virginia Weyer serves as R&P Program Assistant at USCRI and is responsible for travel coordination. Before coming to USCRI, Virginia worked as an Administrative Assistant with the IRC Resettlement Office in Suburban Washington. Before holding this position, Virginia spent nine months
volunteering in fundraising and project development in Nairobi, Kenya. She also worked as a Reception and Placement Intern with the IRC and as the Development Assistant at another DC based non-profit organization. Virginia has a BA in International Studies from American University.
Linda Yu
Junior Accountant
Linda joined USCRI as a Junior Accountant for the Finance team. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Davis and has completed coursework towards an Accounting degree from Ajou University in Seoul, Korea. Linda is fluent in Korean and has a working knowledge of French.
