Meet our team

Maggie Mitchell Salem

Maggie joined IRIS as Executive Director in January 2024.  Throughout her nearly 30-year career, Maggie has managed diverse teams focused on civic education, intercultural dialogue, social and political rights, and forced displacement. She arrived in Connecticut following three years leading the National Democratic Institute’s democratic governance program in Tunisia.

Given the exponential increase in the number of refugees, humanitarian parolees, and other immigrants that IRIS assists, Maggie has focused on organizational structure, systems, and policies that create a strong foundation for the organization’s continued growth.  Her previous experience at Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services) and Fugees Academy have underscored the importance of collaborative, communicative leadership and management.

For more than a decade, she was the founding executive director of Qatar Foundation International and expanded Arabic language and culture education to public K-12 schools across the U.S., UK, Ireland, and Germany.  As the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), she expanded or created new programs in Jordan, Jordan, Palestinian territories, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq.  Maggie started up and led the Middle East Institute’s Communications Department from 2001-2004.  She also served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in Mumbai and Tel Aviv, and as staff on the Executive Secretariat of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Maggie was a Fulbright Scholar in Syria while studying for her Masters in Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University. She received a Bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology from The Johns Hopkins University.  She is the proud mom of two sons and two daughters.  She lives with her six dogs and two cats in East Haddam and enjoys volunteering with the Goodspeed Guild.

Michelle Hopson

Michelle Hopson, Senior Director of Finance at IRIS since October 2024, brings over 16 years of experience in nonprofit financial, programmatic, and organizational growth.  Known for her strategic capacity-building approach, she aligns organizational goals with strong financial management, human resources, and technology.  Born in the Philippines, Michelle speaks multiple languages and views language as a powerful tool for problem-solving.  Her collaborative leadership fosters cross-departmental partnerships and multi-team success, driving impactful outcomes for organizations with budgets up to $100 million.

Beyond her professional commitments, Michelle remains deeply engaged in her community.  She serves as a commissioner on her local Zoning Board of Appeals, chairs the Parish Council Board at her church, and teaches as an adjunct professor of engineering and technology at a local community college.

Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in legal and policy studies from Fordham University and earned an Executive Education Certificate from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business and Graduate School of Social Services’ Center for Nonprofit Leaders.  In 2015, she was selected to attend a Harvard Advanced Leadership Institute symposium for nonprofit and public sector leaders.  Her contributions to the public-private landscape were further acknowledged in 2024 when she was honored as one of Schneps Media’s Power Women of Manhattan for her role in uplifting communities across New York City.  She resides in Westport with her husband, daughter, and their beloved shih tzu.

Venu Thirumala

203-562-2095 x 264
[email protected]

KEVIN LANGSON