Meet our team
The IRIS team hovers around 100 employees and is led by six directors who represent over 30 years of combined IRIS service and experience.
With this multilingual, culturally sensitive, and skilled staff, and with volunteers, IRIS is uniquely suited to meet the needs of refugees and immigrants and cultivate their potential.
Chris George
Executive Director
Aaron Tate
Interim Associate Director, Welcome Corps
AKRAM YORK
Community Engagement Data Coordinator
ALEM NUGUSE
Custodian
Allis Ozornia
Community Health Worker
AMY LYNN
Director of Operations
ANA CARDENAS
Operations Manager
ANDREA SANCHEZ
Senior Employment Specialist
ANIKO SZABO
Employment Specialist Manager
ANN O’BRIEN
Director of Sponsorship
Anna Kilty
Ukrainian Program Case Manager
Anthony Tembera
Employment Services Specialist
Asha Delcogliano
Private Sponsorship Outreach Coordinator
ASHLEY MAKAR
Outreach Coordinator
BARBARA DAVIS
Community Sponsorship Developer
Bashir Watandost
Employment Services Specialist
BETHANY DELAHUNT
Housing & Donations Manager
BISMILLAH ENSAFI
Education & Enrollment Specialist
BONNY AMADOR-LOPEZ
Bookkeeping and Finance Assistant
Brooke Conley
Supportive Therapy Clinician
CYNTHIA DUNN
Community Sponsorship Developer
DAAD SERWERI
Community Sponsor Program Manager
Dahiana Fulgencio
Education & Enrollment Specialist
DANIELA CARRANZA
SUN Case Manager
DEBRA RIDING
Director of Education
Delaila Grey
SUN Case Manager
DENNY FERNANDEZ
Housing & Donations Coordinator (Hartford)
Diana Church Empsall
Associate Director of Development
Doris Cordova
SUN Intake Specialist
ELISABETH NEITERMAN
Volunteer Coordinator (Hartford)
Erin Howe
Manager, Welcome Corps
Faqeerullah Darwish
Ukrainian Program Data Coordinator
Farid Samadi
Finance Specialist, Grants
Fatima Hassan
Education Assistant
Gisou Mercado-Vega
Office Manager
GLADYS (NDENGO) MWILELO
After School Coordinator
Hossna Samadi
Outreach Coordinator
Jean-Fritz Guerrier
HR-DEI Director
JEF WILSON
Ukrainian Educational Specialist
JENNIFER HARTLEY
Education Advocate & Family Engagement Specialist
Jennifer Wolfson
Staff Attorney
Jessica Devos
Family Reunification Specialist
Jessica Patti
Director of Resettlement Services
JOANNA ARPIE
Early Childhood Education Teacher
Johanna Snyder
Food Pantry & Bike Program Coordinator
Kate Merschman
Ukrainian Program Employment Specialist
KATHY SHEPPARD
Ukrainian Program Manager
KATY LAWDER
Volunteer and Outreach Programs Manager
KELLY BEE
Public Relations & Advocacy Manager
KEVIN LANGSON
Post-arrival Case Manager
LAL HABIB DELAWAR
IT Coordinator
LAUREN PETERSEN
Senior Staff Attorney
LINDA BRONSTEIN
Senior Case Manager
Lisa Kinney Bajwa
Higher Education Coordinator
Lori Clemens
ESOL Instructor
Lukas Champagne
PC Case Manager
Madeleine LeStrange
ESOL Coordinator
Madison Mackay
SUN Referral Specialist
Maggie Rodriguez
Legal Fellow
Massita Fadiga
Resettlement Program Manager
MICHAEL DOYLE
Senior Staff Attorney
Michael Wolven
Systems Manager, Welcome Corps
MIRKA DOMINGUEZ-SALINAS
SUN Co-Manager
MISAEL MERCADO
Housing and Donations Coordinator
Nagy Mishriky
Employment Services Specialist
Nick Fiorentino
Community Outreach Assistant
PAIMAN NASIRI
Training & Compliance Officer
Parker Newburn
Mobilizing Manager, Welcome Corps
PATRICIA TYNAN-KRAWCZYK
Employment Services Specialist
PEMA BHUTIA
Health and Wellness Manager
RACHEL DOFT
Director of Immigration Legal Services
RONA ROHBAR
Health Coordinator
Shafiullah Faizee
Health Coordinator
Shah Jahan
HR Coordinator
Sharon Hall-Smith
Deputy Director for Resettlement Services, Hartford
SHARON WISE
PC Case Manager
SUE SOBOLEWSKI
Receptionist
Susana Mejia
Paralegal
Svetlana Moskvitch
Ukrainian Program Interpreter/Outreach Specialist
SYED AHMED
Employment Specialist (Outreach)
Tabitha Sookdeo
Director of Community Engagement
TANYA KIMBALL
Hartford Office Director
Tava Auslan
Employment Services Specialist
Venu Thirumala
Annual Fund Manager
Zahra Chaudhry
Paralegal
ZAKER SULTANI
Post Arrival Case Manager
ZEENIE MALIK
Senior Communications Manager
Zohra Moradi
Grant Coordinator & Translator
Allis Ozornia
Community Health Worker
ANDREA SANCHEZ
Senior Employment Specialist
ANIKO SZABO
Employment Specialist Manager
Bashir Watandost
Employment Services Specialist
BETHANY DELAHUNT
Housing & Donations Manager
Brooke Conley
Supportive Therapy Clinician
DANIELA CARRANZA
SUN Case Manager
Delaila Grey
SUN Case Manager
DENNY FERNANDEZ
Housing & Donations Coordinator (Hartford)
Doris Cordova
SUN Intake Specialist
Jessica Patti
Director of Resettlement Services
Johanna Snyder
Food Pantry & Bike Program Coordinator
KEVIN LANGSON
Post-arrival Case Manager
LINDA BRONSTEIN
Senior Case Manager
Lukas Champagne
PC Case Manager
Madison Mackay
SUN Referral Specialist
Massita Fadiga
Resettlement Program Manager
MIRKA DOMINGUEZ-SALINAS
SUN Co-Manager
MISAEL MERCADO
Housing and Donations Coordinator
PAIMAN NASIRI
Training & Compliance Officer
PATRICIA TYNAN-KRAWCZYK
Employment Services Specialist
PEMA BHUTIA
Health and Wellness Manager
RONA ROHBAR
Health Coordinator
Shafiullah Faizee
Health Coordinator
SHARON WISE
PC Case Manager
SYED AHMED
Employment Specialist (Outreach)
Tava Auslan
Employment Services Specialist
ZAKER SULTANI
Post Arrival Case ManagerSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- AITI RAI | Case Manager (Hartford)
- ANA LUCIA GUTIERREZ GOMEZ | Health Coordinator
- ANA NUNEZ | Housing Acquisitions Liaison
- ANGELICA MICHALZUK | Alternate Housing and Donations Coordinator
- ANITA AMIRI | Health Assistant
- ANNE SOMMER | Data and Reporting Specialist
- ANTHONY MORGAN | Pre-Arrival Coordinator
- AZAD MOUSOU | Resettlement Programs Manager
- BROOKE KLINE | Health Team Manager
- CATHERINE MUKEMWEMA | Assistant Case Manager (Hartford)
- CHANCE MBAYE | Case Management Assistant
- CHERRELLE DANIEL | Housing and Donation Assistant
- CHRISTION GILBERT | Housing and Donations Coordinator
- COLIN O’BRIEN | Housing and Donation Assistant
- CRISTAL ARGUELLO | Employment Services Specialist
- DANIEL PFLUEGER | Post R&P Case Manager
- DOH PAW | Benefits Specialist
- FAQEERULLAH DARWISH | Ukrainian Data Coordinator
- GEORGAL KINJA SAM | R&P Case Manager
- HAYLEY WILHELM | Housing and Donations Assistant (Hartford)
- HEWAD HEMAT | Manager of Resettlement Services
- JAKE TROTMAN | Case Manager
- JAMES ERARD | Housing Acquisitions Liaison
- JOHN KOZAK | Housing & Donations Coordinator (Hartford)
- KEMAL ENDRE | R&P Case Manager
- LESLIE KOONS | Africa Research Project Liaison
- MASOODA HASHMI | Case Manager Assistant
- MELIESHA LATOYA STRACHAN | Benefits Specialist
- MOHAMMAD AL ZOUABI | Pre-Arrival Case Manager
- MOHAMMAD SALIM TAJ MOHAMMAD | R&P Case Manager
- NASEEB ADEL | Case Manager
- QAIS AMERY | Housing and Donations Assistant
- REFIQULLAH JAN | Employment Services Specialist
- SAMANTHA GUDIS | Housing Set Up Liaison
- SARA NIAZAI | Data and Reporting Specialist
- SAYED FROGH TAHA | Employment Services Assistant
- SHAFAQ KHAN | Community Orientation Specialist
- SHAUNTASIA HICKS | Housing Acquisitions Liaison
- SPOGMAI AKBERZAI | PC Case Manager (Hartford)
- SUYANE OLIVEIRA | Wellness Coordinator
- TARA MISHRA | Assistant Case Manager (Hartford)
- TENZIN KUNGSAN | Project Coordinator
- TINA DODGE | Garden Coordinator
- VICTORIA MORALES | R&P Case Manager
- YAZAN AL DOUMANI | Housing and Donations Assistant
- ZARQA ANSARI | Landlord and Utilities Liaison
- ZULEIKHA ZADRAN | Health Coordinator (Hartford)
AKRAM YORK
Community Engagement Data Coordinator
Diana Church Empsall
Associate Director of Development
Hossna Samadi
Outreach Coordinator
KATY LAWDER
Volunteer and Outreach Programs Manager
KELLY BEE
Public Relations & Advocacy Manager
Nick Fiorentino
Community Outreach Assistant
Tabitha Sookdeo
Director of Community Engagement
Venu Thirumala
Annual Fund Manager
ZEENIE MALIK
Senior Communications Manager
Zohra Moradi
Grant Coordinator & TranslatorSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- AMINA MAJEED | Program Data Evaluation Specialist
- ANDREA STREETS | Interpreter Quality Coordinator
- ASHA DELCOGLIANO | Private Sponsorship Outreach Coordinator
- JENNIFER VICKERY | Press & Community Engagement Operations Manager
- KARINA RIVERO | Grant Writer
- MILES SINGER | Development Assistant
- MOLLY DREW | Development Assistant
- MUHSINA SHINWARI | Interpreter Systems Coordinator
- NATHAN LEACH | Grant Writer
- NINA GOSWAMI | Cultural Companion Coordinator
- SAMI NIAZAI | Newcomer Ambassador Program Manager
BISMILLAH ENSAFI
Education & Enrollment Specialist
DEBRA RIDING
Director of Education
Fatima Hassan
Education Assistant
GLADYS (NDENGO) MWILELO
After School Coordinator
JEF WILSON
Ukrainian Educational Specialist
JENNIFER HARTLEY
Education Advocate & Family Engagement Specialist
JOANNA ARPIE
Early Childhood Education Teacher
Lisa Kinney Bajwa
Higher Education Coordinator
Lori Clemens
ESOL Instructor
Madeleine LeStrange
ESOL CoordinatorSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- ALEXIS GARCIA | Education Outreach and Enrollment Specialist
- AZIZA AMIRI | Family Literacy Program Preschool Readiness Assistant
- FATIMA FNU | Youth Leadership Student Leader
- IMANI JEAN-GILLES | Education & Advocacy Services
- IRYNA VELBYTSKA | Ukrainian Program Education Specialist
- ISABELLA DAOU | Education Programs Manager
- JASON PRIMUS | ESOL Instructor
- JENNIFER FITZGERALD | Family Literacy Program Project Manager
- LAUREL MCCORMACK | Youth Leadership
- MASOUMEH JAFARI | Family Literacy Program Assistant
- MOLLY O’DONNELL | Head Teacher of the IRIS Summer Learning Program
- NAZANMIN AMIRI | Family Literacy Program Assistant
- OMAR YACOUB | After-School Program Coordinator
- QUDSIA KHAN | Family Literacy Assistant
- RAWAN SHAIKH ISSA ALHAFEZ | After School Program Aide
- SHARON WHITE | Family Literacy Coordinator
- SIMA ENSAFI | Pashto-Speaking Tutor
- TAMANA AZIZI | Family Literacy Program Assistant
- ZAHIDULLAH HALIMI | Youth Leadership Student Leader
- ZIAULLAH SALIMI | After School Program Aide
Anthony Tembera
Employment Services Specialist
Dahiana Fulgencio
Education & Enrollment Specialist
DENNY FERNANDEZ
Housing & Donations Coordinator (Hartford)
ELISABETH NEITERMAN
Volunteer Coordinator (Hartford)
Gisou Mercado-Vega
Office Manager
Nagy Mishriky
Employment Services Specialist
Sharon Hall-Smith
Deputy Director for Resettlement Services, Hartford
TANYA KIMBALL
Hartford Office DirectorSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- AITI RAI | Case Manager
- CATHERINE MUKEMWEMA | Post Arrival Case Manager
- HAYLEY WILHELM | Housing and Donations Assistant
- SPOGMAI AKBERZAI | PC Case Manager
- ZULEIKHA ZADRAN | Health Coordinator
- GISOU MERCADO-VEGA | Office Manager
- ISABELLA DAOU | Education Programs Manager
- JAKE TROTMAN | Case Manager
Jennifer Wolfson
Staff Attorney
Jessica Devos
Family Reunification Specialist
LAUREN PETERSEN
Senior Staff Attorney
Maggie Rodriguez
Legal Fellow
MICHAEL DOYLE
Senior Staff Attorney
RACHEL DOFT
Director of Immigration Legal Services
Susana Mejia
Paralegal
Zahra Chaudhry
ParalegalSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- ABDUL SAMI NIAZAI | SIV Specialist
- ADDISON DICKENS | Staff Attorney
- ANDREA CUARTAS | Legal Administration Assistant
- ELI CALHOUN | Senior Paralegal
- JANE RENAUD | Staff Attorney
- KARINA LOPEZ | Paralegal
- MEJIA SUSANA | Paralegal
- MOHAMMAD NAIM ASHNA | Translator
- MOHAMMAD SAFI SINA | PS (Temporary Protected Status) Specialist
- NALLELY ACOSTA | PS (Temporary Protected Status) Specialist
- PATRICIA RODRIGUEZ | Translator
- SAMI NIAZAI | SIV Specialist
- SARAH NATHAN | Staff Attorney – Removal Defense
- ZOHRA MORADI | Translator/Grant Coordinator
ALEM NUGUSE
Custodian
AMY LYNN
Director of Operations
ANA CARDENAS
Operations Manager
BONNY AMADOR-LOPEZ
Bookkeeping and Finance Assistant
Farid Samadi
Finance Specialist, Grants
Jean-Fritz Guerrier
HR-DEI Director
LAL HABIB DELAWAR
IT Coordinator
Shah Jahan
HR Coordinator
SUE SOBOLEWSKI
ReceptionistSTAFF NOT PICTURED
- ABDUL WAKIL ZAMANI | IT Coordinator
- ALEXANDER MCKAY | HR Generalist
- BIRTUKAN ALI | Bookkeeper
- BRIA ASKEW | Talent Acquisition Specialist
- CAROL THOMSON | Accountant
- ERRICA SANTORE | Accountant
- FARID SAMADI | Finance and Grant Specialist
- GISOU MERCADO-VEGA | Office Manager
- JENNIFER PEPE | Bookkeeper
- LAURI-ANN HENRY | Accountant
- LEEANN BEGOS | Bookkeeping Assistant
- LEEPARANI PARLAPALLI | HR/CE Analysis Specialist
- MARIA J RAMIREZ VALLEJO | Office Cleaner
- MATIN ALALI | Cleaning
Aaron Tate
Interim Associate Director, Welcome Corps
ANN O’BRIEN
Director of Sponsorship
Anna Kilty
Ukrainian Program Case Manager
Asha Delcogliano
Private Sponsorship Outreach Coordinator
ASHLEY MAKAR
Outreach Coordinator
BARBARA DAVIS
Community Sponsorship Developer
CYNTHIA DUNN
Community Sponsorship Developer
DAAD SERWERI
Community Sponsor Program Manager
Erin Howe
Manager, Welcome Corps
Faqeerullah Darwish
Ukrainian Program Data Coordinator
Kate Merschman
Ukrainian Program Employment Specialist
KATHY SHEPPARD
Ukrainian Program Manager
Michael Wolven
Systems Manager, Welcome Corps
Parker Newburn
Mobilizing Manager, Welcome Corps
Svetlana Moskvitch
Ukrainian Program Interpreter/Outreach Specialist
STAFF NOT PICTURED
- AMALIA ANDERSON | Ukrainian Program Sponsor Support Specialist
- ANDRII KRYVORUCHKO | Ukrainian Program EAD Specialist
- BRITTEN BOLENBAUGH | Community Sponsor Coach – Ukrainian Programs
- FERNANDA RODRIGUES | Ukrainian Program Benefits Specialist
- IRYNA BEREZA | Ukrainian Program Healthcare Navigator
- MUHD SHARIF MUKIMI | Ukrainian Program Manager
- ROKSOLANA LUCHKAN | Ukrainian Program Case Manager
- SERHII SKRYPNIUK | Ukrainian Program Case Manager
- SHUKRIA SHINWARI | Sponsorship Coach
- TETYANA PAVELO | Ukrainian Program Sponsor Support Specialist
- VLADYSLAVA BRIUTZGHINA-KIST | Ukrainian Program Case Manager