Switchboard provides tools, learning opportunities, research, and technical assistance covering a range of topics related to the newcomer experience.
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Michael Brinn is an instructional designer and educator with 15 years of experience working with learners of all ages, including newcomer students and families. Prior to joining Switchboard, he worked for four years as a Learning Designer at 2U, where he helped expand access to higher education through developing pedagogical philosophy for effective online learning and collaborating with college professors to design graduate-level courses for a virtual setting. Prior to that, Michael worked for 11 years in Denver, CO, in schools with significant newcomer populations. He served as both a middle school language arts teacher and elementary school administrator, where he supported teachers and the school community in instructional design, equity and inclusion, community engagement, and school culture. Michael holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Comparative Literature from Rutgers University.
Krysti Nellermoe is an experienced facilitator with nearly nine years in resettlement services. She comes to Switchboard from the IRC Salt Lake City office, where she first served as a caseworker and later worked in direct service, supervisory, and management positions designing and implementing youth and adult education programming for newcomers. At Switchboard, Krysti will lead the new Emerging Technologies and Digital Inclusion initiative, which will build service providers’ capacity to facilitate newcomers’ learning engagement, community navigation, and exposure to technology. Krysti is a former Digital Inclusion Fellow with NTEN, a technology-focused nonprofit. She holds certifications in Peace-Building and Conflict Transformation, TESOL, and Human Centered Design. Krysti completed an MA in International Studies in Shanghai, China, while teaching English to K–12 students.
BUDGET OFFICER
Juja Kovacevic is an experienced finance professional who has worked at the IRC for the past 24 years. She was resettled in 1999 by the IRC as a refugee from Bosnia and soon began working at IRC San Diego as the Office Coordinator. Juja moved to the office’s Finance Department in 2008, where she grew into many roles. As Finance Manager, she supported the finance team and resettlement program staff and assisted in the deployment of new financial software. Juja also worked as a Regional Budget Manager for the five IRC field offices in the Pacific Mountain Region. She is now excited to join Switchboard as Budget Officer, supporting budget-versus-actual tracking, projections, re-forecasting, and budgeting for proposal development. Juja holds a bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature from the University of Sarajevo and an MA in Accountancy from National University.
Danica K brings
Campeon Ramirez brings experience in digital prototyping and product design, building curriculum, and teaching. Prior to joining Switchboard, he spent one year as a Virtual Reality Digital Inclusion Intern at IRC Salt Lake City, where he facilitated the use of virtual reality (VR) with newcomers attending cultural orientation. Now, as Program Coordinator for Emerging Technologies, Campeon develops VR content for IRC clients and trains IRC staff on its implementation. Content includes 360 degree videos that allow newcomers to experience simulations of navigating schools, transportation, health care, recreation, and shopping in the United States. Campeon’s passion lies in providing folks from marginalized communities access to emerging technology and the opportunities that arise from it. Campeon holds a Bachelor of Science Design in Multidisciplinary Design from the University of Utah.
Maya Wahrman is a social worker licensed in New Jersey with a lifelong commitment to working with refugees and immigrants. She brings to Switchboard seven years of experience in resettlement and immigrant services, including direct case management, mental health counseling, school and education support, program management, and state government policy and administration. Maya previously served as the Refugee Health and Wellness Specialist in the New Jersey Office of New Americans. Before that, she was the Director of Case Management and the Refugee School Impact Coordinator at Interfaith-RISE, a local refugee resettlement agency. Maya holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts in History with certificates in Near Eastern Studies and Creative Writing from Princeton University. She speaks English, Hebrew, and Spanish fluently, has basic proficiency in Arabic, and is currently learning Kannada. Maya grew up mostly between Israel and Indiana and now lives in New Jersey.
Jodie Boisvert is a social scientist with a decade of experience conducting research projects on poverty, employment, youth development, hunger, and disaster preparedness and relief. Prior to joining Switchboard, she held numerous roles conducting research and evaluations for local and international nonprofit and government organizations, including United Way and American Red Cross. Jodie is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Florida Atlantic University in Comparative Studies, an interdisciplinary program focusing on anthropology, sociology, and political science. She is investigating migrant employment outcomes and how to use employment as a strategy for integration. Jodie holds a master’s in Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University and a BA in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida.
Emily Smith is an experienced copy editor with an interest in helping refugees, immigrants, and English language learners. Prior to joining Switchboard, she worked as a legal editor for the American Association for Justice and later as an academic copy editor for non-native English speakers. In addition to editing, Emily has volunteered extensively with nonprofit organizations that support refugees and immigrants. She brings four years of valuable experience volunteering for the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership, where she was the healthcare coordinator for a newly resettled Syrian family. She also has six years of experience teaching English to immigrants and refugees, first serving as an ESOL tutor in Virginia and then as an assistant ESOL instructor with JVS Boston. Emily is deeply committed to helping refugees thrive in their new communities. She holds a B.A. in anthropology from Brandeis University and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Rob Callus is a lifelong educator with extensive experience working in instructional design, global health, and refugee resettlement. Prior to joining Switchboard, he was a program manager for World Relief in Durham, NC, where he supported school and community integration for refugee and immigrant families. Rob previously worked for Curamericas Global, where he designed and implemented maternal and neonatal child health training for community health workers in rural Kenya. He also taught English writing and served as a guidance counselor for two years at a high school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. Rob speaks Swahili and Spanish, and he is ESL-certified for both adults and youth. He is based in Durham, NC.
Rosalie Arndt is an educator with 14 years of experience working with migrant and multilingual learners. Prior to joining Switchboard, she served for five years as the IRC Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration (RAI) Youth Education Coordinator in New York City. There she led programming for NYC’s refugee and asylee K–12 youth and assumed capacity-building roles across the RAI network, including Youth Education Community of Practice Leader. Rosalie began her career in Denver, CO, where she taught 1st grade for seven years and later served as an Instructional Coach and Assistant Principal, winning the Best Agent for Change Award and the Best School Leadership Award. Her experience also includes advising on culturally responsive education with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and publishing with Education Week magazine. Rosalie holds an MA in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado, Denver, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Julie Markovitz comes to Switchboard with 15 years of experience providing direct service to refugees and other newcomers at the IRC resettlement office in Dallas, TX. She started as the Office Coordinator, where she provided operations and finance support. She later became the Program Coordinator for the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) program, an ORR-funded early employment program that helps people meet their most basic needs. Julie also worked with individuals in the Dallas area to complete Affidavits of Relationship (AORs) and Iranian Lautenberg (HIAS) family reunification applications to allow overseas relatives to reunite with their family in the U.S. Julie holds an MA in International Relations from Salve Regina University and a BFA in Art History with a minor in Business Law from the University of North Texas.
David Pax K. Buatshia brings over a decade of experience in instructional design, web and software development, training, and project management. Prior to joining Switchboard, he worked as an instructional designer and web developer in higher education in the United States. He also served as a Microsoft Student Ambassador in Africa, providing technology training in university and corporate settings. In addition, David Pax is a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, where he discusses development issues with heads of state. He is a recipient of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) highly competitive Civil Society Leadership Awards (CSLA), which he received for designing an economic development plan for Congolese entrepreneurs and building a family planning app. David Pax holds a Master in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation from Syracuse University and a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Université Pédagogique Nationale (DR Congo). He is fluent in French, English, and Lingala.
Madina Masumi is a licensed K–12 school counselor with over a decade of experience serving students from marginalized populations in Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia. She previously worked as a case manager for public assistance programs. As the daughter of Afghan refugees, Madina has experienced firsthand the challenges of refugee integration. She holds a Master of Education in School Counseling from George Mason University. Madina speaks fluent Dari and is proficient in Spanish.
Sarah Diner is a social scientist who comes to Switchboard from the direct service side of refugee resettlement. Prior to joining Switchboard, she worked for the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services and a local USCRI affiliate managing caseworkers and providing direct service for the Matching Grant, Reception and Placement, and Afghan Humanitarian Parole programs. While pursuing her MA in Public Anthropology, Sarah served in the Peace Corps as a Community Services Specialist in Morocco, where she researched barriers to healthcare access in rural areas. She is passionate about using her research and writing skills to create resources that help providers deliver the best services possible to their newest neighbors. Sarah holds an MA in Public Anthropology from American University in Washington, D.C., and a MPH in Community and Behavioral Health from the University of Iowa.
Sonali Jagdhane White is an experienced program officer in partnership compliance and monitoring with an MA in Human Rights. Sonali’s interest in partnership work derives from her value of bringing communities together to address human rights issues. She comes to Switchboard from U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), where she served as a Program Officer for three years, providing partnership oversight to service providers in the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) network. Sonali brings a varied background in anti-trafficking work: she has raised awareness at churches, volunteered on her college campus and at a survivor shelter, and worked at Polaris connecting clients to services. She is excited to transition from partnership building in the anti-trafficking sector to the refugee resettlement field.
Selina Máté is a digital content manager with experience in refugee resettlement. Prior to joining Switchboard, she developed and managed a refugee youth mentorship program with World Relief in Durham, NC. In addition to her nonprofit background, she has experience in journalism, social media management, and WordPress development. Selina holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Huntington University.
Sally Beiruti brings experience working on forced displacement and migration issues, as well as monitoring and evaluation. As a graduate research and teaching assistant in the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University, Sally worked on research projects related to health systems and displacement in various host countries. Before starting graduate school, she worked on the monitoring and evaluation of a robotics program for girls in public schools in Amman, Jordan. As an undergraduate student with the D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she helped develop and conduct workshops for refugee women and unaccompanied refugee minors in Athens, Greece. Sally holds an MPH from the Population and Family Health Department at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health with a certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action, as well as a BS from the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT. She is fluent in Arabic and English and is learning French
Raluca Albu is a former refugee sponsored by the IRC who was born in Romania and raised in the Bronx. She comes to Switchboard with a decade of communications experience at various NGOs and nonprofit organizations. Raluca most recently worked as the interim deputy editor for Doctors Without Borders and has held editorial positions at Guernica and BOMB magazines. Prior to her work in communications, she was a history teacher in the New York City public school system and an assistant professor of writing at NYU. Her own writing has been published in The Guardian, The Village Voice, Three Percent, and elsewhere. As an editor, educator, and writer, Raluca is passionate about sharing information in ways that help streamline and advance the professional development of resettlement service providers. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Social Studies Education from Columbia University.
Megan Rafferty has worked in mental health settings providing culturally responsive, strengths-based, trauma-informed services to refugee and immigrant populations for over a decade. She has provided case management, individual therapy, and psychosocial group interventions to individuals experiencing a wide range of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, and adjustment difficulties. She has also led program development, evaluation, and clinical supervision. Megan currently holds dual licensure in Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC). She received her master’s degree in International Disaster Psychology: Trauma and Global Mental Health from the University of Denver.
Elijah Davis is a business administrative professional with experience providing administrative support in the nonprofit and health care sectors. Over the years, he has developed strong skills in logistical planning, procurement, contracting vendors, compliance, and reporting. Elijah is passionate about using his skills at Switchboard to leverage resources for refugee service providers across the United States. Prior to joining Switchboard, Elijah served as an administrative assistant within the Johns Hopkins Medical System. He previously worked as an office manager at a nonprofit domestic violence and sexual assault center in Central Maryland. Elijah is currently studying Business Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Farah El Hassan began her career in the nonprofit sector working on an economic development program in the Middle East region. In her role, Farah oversaw the implementation of skills-building activities to increase employment opportunities among low-income populations. Prior to joining Switchboard, Farah developed and expanded programs that served immigrant and refugee youth and women at a nonprofit in Houston, TX. These programs focused on overcoming language barriers, establishing social connections, and increasing food security. Farah holds an MA in International Affairs from the Lebanese American University and an MSc in Social Policy (Research) from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks Arabic and English.
Liz Tompkins is a macro-level social worker with more than a decade of domestic and international experience. Learning about people and the systems that impact them led Liz to advocate for change in policies that affect refugee and immigrant families. Prior to joining Switchboard, Liz worked for over six years at Bethany Christian Services, most recently as the National Capacity Director for Refugee and Immigrant Programs funded by ORR. There she developed referral and placement systems that resulted in over 3,000 unaccompanied children being welcomed into short-term foster care before ultimately reuniting with their families. Liz is also an experienced facilitator, having presented at organizations and conferences on topics ranging from humanitarian concerns at the Southern Border to ethics in administration. Liz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Michigan and received both an MSW and MPA from Grand Valley State University. She is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), having served in Peru from 2012 to 2016.
Kimberly Mays is a digital technology enthusiast with over 15 years of experience in marketing, training, and web development. She leads the Switchboard Learner Engagement team in setting up systems and tools to facilitate trainings, events, and content delivery. Prior to joining Switchboard, she was the Senior Program Officer for Digital Initiatives at the IRC, where she trained staff on digital platforms and developed systems for digital program delivery. Her experience also includes working for marketing corporations as a business analyst, project manager, and developer. Outside of the IRC, Kimberly is a consultant who provides training to service-based businesses on using marketing automation. She holds an MBA from the Zicklin School of Business (CUNY Baruch) and a BS in Computer Information Systems from Fordham University. Kimberly is also a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Tigest Coleman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with refugees, immigrants, and other forcibly displaced populations in direct service, supervisory, and management positions. Prior to joining Switchboard, Tigest spent most of her career working in ORR’s Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program, delivering intensive cross-cultural case management, clinical consultations, and resources for clients, staff, and various community agencies. Her many years of on-the-job experience have given her a well-rounded skillset to provide trauma-informed, client-centered, and culturally tailored services. Tigest holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Community Health. She is fluent in Amharic.
Leyla Dursunova is a social worker with nearly 20 years of experience in refugee resettlement, nonprofit development, and training and technical assistance. She began working with refugees in 2000 in Uzbekistan, where she coordinated a health training program for Afghan women. After moving to the United States, Leyla worked for Nationalities Service Center (NSC) in Philadelphia in the Reception and Placement, Matching Grant, and Ethnic Community Self-Help programs and later directed NSC’s development and communications efforts. She returned to NSC in 2021 to support resettlement and co-sponsorship efforts for Afghan evacuees. Leyla has also worked at the IRC as the Program Officer of the project for Strengthening Organizations Assisting Refugees (SOAR), providing training and technical assistance to ethnic community-based organizations. Leyla holds an MSW in Social Administration and International Social Welfare from Columbia University through a fellowship from the Open Society Institute. She is an alumna of International House NYC and is a licensed MSW in New York.
Kinda Hibrawi is an acclaimed artist and creative director with over a decade of experience in digital design, nonprofit development, and refugee advocacy. While working at Karam Foundation, she co-founded and led seven education and creative therapy programs that served over 4,000 Syrian refugee children and youth on the Syrian-Turkish border from 2013 to 2015. After returning to the U.S., Kinda launched Suppers with Love, a volunteer-led program that connected American families to recently arrived Syrian refugees in Southern California. She later co-founded Mint + Laurel, a social impact business that advocates for internally displaced artisans in Syria and sells their handmade products online in the U.S. Kinda has also exhibited her own paintings in galleries across the U.S. and internationally for the last 20 years. In 2016, she was invited to the Eid Dinner at the White House by President Obama in recognition of her creative work as a Muslim-American artist. Based in Southern California, Kinda was born in Saudi Arabia and grew up between Bahrain, Lebanon, and Syria. She received her BFA from California State University of Fullerton, and she speaks fluent Arabic and English.
Meg Gibbon is an experienced program manager whose career has focused on instructional design, training and technical assistance, grant management, and monitoring and evaluation. Before joining Switchboard, she worked at the IRC managing the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Assistance (META) Project and serving as a Program Manager for Resource Acquisition. Meg is passionate about learning and strives to ensure Switchboard is a trusted, high-quality resource for refugee service providers. She holds an MA in French from Middlebury College, specializing in francophone societies, and a BA in Religion from Barnard College, specializing in Islam.
Jason Crislip is an experienced educator, trainer, and program manager who has worked in the field of refugee resettlement since 2003. He oversees Switchboard, the Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), and other learning initiatives within IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration (RAI) programs. Prior to CORE, Jason worked abroad for 15 years at the Resettlement Support Center for East Asia, the Overseas Processing Entity in West Africa, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana. He holds a degree in Education from the University of Akron, Ohio
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