Gebremedhin, Katherine

Katherine Gebremedhin

Katherine Gebremedhin is the Director of State and Local Initiatives at World Education Services (WES) Global Talent Bridge. She has extensive experience developing and leading multi-sector networks and programming focused on the integration of internationally trained immigrants and refugees. Katherine currently leads WES’s Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP), a robust community of practice of 24 communities working to further state and local integration initiatives. Katherine also co-convenes (with partners, NAE) the Office of New Americans (ONA) Network, which provides a forum for state policy leaders to drive positive change that supports immigrant and refugee integration into the workforce and economy.

Gaya, Ahmed

Ahmed Gaya

Ahmed Gaya has spent the past decade working at the intersection of climate change, environmental justice and immigration in Washington State. Ahmed is currently working with One America, Washington State's largest immigrant rights organization, to map the United States migrant justice movement's role in the climate crisis.

Garlick, Melissa

Melissa Garlick

Melissa Garlick is the associate program director for the Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Network at Vera’s Center on Immigration and Justice. Before joining Vera in 2019, Melissa was the civil rights national counsel at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where she led policy and advocacy work on immigrant and refugee rights and other civil rights issues. Before ADL, Melissa served as legislative director for Massachusetts State Senator Jamie Eldridge, working on issues of immigration, criminal justice, and housing. She holds a BA from Brandeis University and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law and currently serves on the board of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts.

García Torres, Leani

Leani García Torres

Leani García Torres is the Associate Director of State & Local Initiatives at New American Economy (NAE. She is responsible for overseeing and expanding the organization's policy and advocacy efforts through state business coalitions and compacts on immigration, state legislative advocacy, and advising governors' policy staff on immigrant economic and workforce integration. Leani has more than nine years of experience working at the intersection of business and public policy across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She holds an MA from New York University's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and a BA in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach.

Garcia, Arisel

Arisel Garcia

Arisel Garcia is a program associate with the SAFE Initiative, which is dedicated to providing publicly funded legal representation for people facing deportation. Prior to Vera, Arisel worked at Catholic Charities Community Services - NY as program manager for the legal orientation program for custodians. During her time at Catholic Charities, Arisel also worked for the unaccompanied minors program, where she advocated for children detained in Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. Arisel previously worked as a team researcher and community organizer in Pacora, Colombia, for the Milano International Field Program. Arisel holds an MA in international affairs from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy, at the New School.

Feliz, Wendy

Wendy Feliz

Wendy Feliz is the founding Director of the Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council. The Center houses the signature, culture, and narrative change programs of the Council. The Center also convenes institutions and individuals nationwide who share the common goal of building a more cohesive America where all people are welcomed and included. Wendy has been with the Council since 2008 and has two decades of experience in public policy/advocacy communications. She also serves as an adjunct professor of communication at Georgetown University.

Chun, Seongeun

Seongeun Chun

Seongeun Chun is the Director of Health Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), leading policy analysis and campaigns in New York City and New York State to improve health access, coverage, and delivery for immigrant communities. Most recently at Montefiore Medical Center, Seongeun directed a multi-site study to increase access to effective treatment for opioid use disorders in primary health care settings. Prior to Montefiore, she led research and policy analysis focusing on health care delivery, and access to maternal and neonatal care in Indonesia, Liberia and China. Seongeun received her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Cheer, Shiu-Ming

Shiu-Ming Cheer

Shiu-Ming Cheer is the Director of Movement Building & Strategic Partnerships with the National Immigration Law Center. Previously, Cheer was a practicing attorney at Los Angeles Detention Project, the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, South Asian Network, and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. In those roles, she represented detained immigrant adults and children facing deportation. Shiu-Ming has served on the Boards of the Filipino Migrant Center, Khmer Girls in Action and the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), and received awards for her community and legal work from the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, the National Lawyers Guild – LA, and KIWA.

Chen, Annie

Annie Chen

Annie Chan is the program director for the Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Initiative at Vera’s Center on Immigraton and Justice.  Previously, Annie was in private practice where she dedicated herself to the pro bono representation of immigrants. She also worked at the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit, where she represented immigrants in detention facing deportation. She holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD from Fordham Law School. Before law school, Annie worked at the Brennan Center for Justice. Annie is a Coro Immigrant Civic Leadership Program alum and lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Cagle, Megan

Megan Cagle

Megan Cagle serves as the Communications Director for New American Leaders. In her role, she is proud to support and empower BIPOC and New American leaders as they share their authentic stories and create change. With a background in political campaigns, refugee resettlement, immigration advocacy, and international development, she is passionate about creating systemic change in our democracy — ensuring that all people are represented and creating a more inclusive, equitable society. Megan currently lives in Washington, DC and when not working, can be found cooking, listening to live music, or reading.

Born, Michelle

Michelle Born

Michelle Born is Senior Manager of Training at the New York Immigration Coalition, where she oversees the development and growth of NYIC's training initiatives – strengthening providers’ legal services capabilities and other community-based organizations serving New York State's immigrant communities. Previously, Michelle served as Training and Outreach Manager for LawHelpNY/Pro Bono Net and as Staff Attorney at The Bronx Defenders, as part of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project. Michelle has worked abroad and in the U.S. in various capacities with Catholic Relief Services, Human Rights Watch, Maryknoll Lay Missioners, and the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She holds an M.A. in International Development from Fordham University and a J.D. from CUNY School of Law.

André, Richard

Richard André

Richard André is the Senior Policy Advisor at New American Economy, a bipartisan research and advocacy organization making the economic case for inclusive immigration reform. In this role, he advises governors' staff on policy issues, including COVID-19 response and long-term recovery and resiliency efforts. Previously, Rich served as Deputy Director of State and Local Initiatives at NAE. Before joining NAE, he managed the NYCitizenship program at the NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and ran Cities for Action, a national coalition of 200 mayors fighting for immigration reform. Rich received a Master's in Public Policy from Princeton University and a Bachelor's in Political Science and Spanish from Amherst College.