Fine, Marjorie

Marjorie Fine

Marjorie Fine, a former foundation executive, is a fundraising and philanthropic coach/consultant/trainer helping nonprofits and their funders–particularly those who use community organizing as a way to effect social change - move from surviving to thriving. She believes how groups raise money is as important to achieving their goals as are their programs, leadership development, and policy and advocacy campaigns. She thinks fundraising is organizing and that fundraisers, whether paid or unpaid, staff, board member or volunteer, are the unsung heroes of social justice organizations and movements. She serves as chair of the North Star Fund and is a board member of the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Ersek, Hikmet

Hikmet Ersek

Hikmet Ersek is President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of The Western Union Company, a global leader in digital and retail cross-border money transfer and payments services. Ersek joined Western Union in 1999 and became CEO in 2010. A citizen of Austria and Turkey, Ersek draws on his international background to speak out publicly for the rights of migrants and refugees worldwide. He has been publicly recognized for his commitment to community and corporate responsibility, including as Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine’s Responsible CEO of the Year. In 2019, Ersek received the Global Economy Prize in Business from the Keil Institute for the World Economy for his international influence on global issues. He speaks English, German and Turkish fluently, and enjoyed a short career as a professional basketball player in Europe. Ersek holds a Master's (Magister) degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Wirtschaftsuniversität (University of Economics) in Vienna, Austria.

Douglas, Kevin

Kevin Douglas

Kevin Douglas leads the Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees’ national programs, including oversight of the Delivering Dream Initiative. Kevin joined GCIR in 2019 and has more than 13 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He most recently worked as the Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy for United Neighborhood Houses of New York, a network of New York City’s settlement houses and community centers. Kevin was named one of New York Nonprofit Media’s 40 under 40 and a Next Generation Leader by the Human Services Council. He co-founded the giving circle 100 New Yorkers Who Care, and has served on several boards, including the New York Immigration Coalition. Kevin earned an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania and a BSW from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Donate, Fabian

Fabian Donate

Fabian Donate is a Democratic member of the Nevada State Senate, representing District 10. He was appointed to the seat by the Clark County Commission on February 2, 2021, following the resignation of Yvanna Cancela (D). He was sworn in on February 4, 2021. Fabian was born in Los Angeles, California. He earned a B.S. in public health from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2018 and a master's degree in healthcare administration from the University of Maryland in 2020. His career experience includes working as a development consultant with the University of Maryland School of Public Health, the regional account management coordinator with the American Cancer Society, and a health policy research assistant with the Center for Latino Prosperity.

Dinh, Quyen

Quyen Dinh

Quyen Dinh is the Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). As Executive Director, Quyen has advocated for Southeast Asian Americans on key civil rights issues including education, immigration, criminal justice, health, and aging. Quyen has spoken widely about Southeast Asian American communities and has appeared in American RadioWorks, NBC, Public Radio International, and Voice of America. Under Quyen’s leadership, SEARAC has authored national legislation and passed California legislation calling for transparent, disaggregated data for the Asian American community. Quyen has also extended SEARAC’s coalition presence and leadership in other civil rights and social justice movements through her leadership roles with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), Detention Watch Network (DWN), the Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC), RISE for Boys and Men of Color, and Allies Reaching for Community Health Equity (ARCHE) Action Collaborative. 

D’Avanzo, Ben

Ben D’Avanzo

Ben D’Avanzo is Senior Health Policy Analyst at the National Immigration Law Center. Ben D’Avanzo works on access to health care and healthy lives for low-income immigrant communities. Through advocacy, relationship-building and analysis, he advances policies that enhance the health of immigrant families and works to block those that bring harm, with a focus on federal legislation and executive action.

de Asis, Charina

Charina de Asis

Charina de Asis currently serves as the Executive Director for the Nevada Governor’s Office for New Americans (ONA). As an immigrant herself from the Philippines, she ensures that the voices of immigrants and refugees in Nevada have a seat at the table within state government. Prior to her role as Director, she served as Senior Advisor for ONA, worked in various analyst positions for the State of Nevada’s Department of Veterans Services and Department of Public Safety, and has institutional knowledge on the intricacies and processes of state government. She has also worked internationally on humanitarian and refugee issues in Asia and Europe.

Comenote, Janeen

Janeen Comenote

Janeen Comenote lives in Seattle WA and is an enrolled member of the Quinault Indian Nation. She is Quinault and Oglala on her father’s side and Hesquiaht and Kwakiutl First Nations on her mother’s side. Comenote is the founding Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition (NUIFC). The NUIFC is a national coalition representing 38 urban Indian centers in 26 cities and more than two million Native Americans living away from their traditional land base. The NUIFC remains one of only a few national organizations dedicated to “Making the Invisible Visible” and providing a platform and voice for this underrepresented population in America.

Chen, Christine

Christine Chen

Christine Chen is a co-Founder and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), one of the most trusted national, nonpartisan organizations. APIAVote’s mission is to work with local and state community based organizations (CBOs) to mobilize Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in electoral and civic engagement. Since 2007, APIAVote has been building power in AAPI communities by investing in their capacity and infrastructure to mobilize voters. Under Chen’s leadership, APIAVote strengthened and expanded APIAVote's partners into 28 states and made two historical milestones; attracted, then candidate Joe Biden to speak directly to the AAPI electorate, a  first in history for a Presidential nominee, and second, contributed to the groundwork that led to the highest AAPI voter turnout in history.

Chacón, Oscar A.

Oscar A. Chacón

Oscar A. Chacón is a co‐founder and executive director of Alianza Americas. Before stepping into his current role in 2007, Oscar served in leadership positions at the Chicago‐based Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Boston‐based Centro Presente, and several other community-based and international development organizations. Oscar has also served on multiple advisory committees to national and international processes including the Civil Society Consultation process associated with the Global Forum on Migration and Development and the World Social Forum on Migration. Oscar is a frequent national and international spokesperson on transnationalism, economic justice, the link between migration and development, migrant’s integration processes, human mobility, migration policies, racism and xenophobia; and U.S. Latino community issues.

Chapa, Jose

Jose Chapa

Jose Chapa joins IDP as their Senior Policy Associate, focusing on state policy, legislation and advocacy, and supporting IDP’s local and federal advocacy work. Previously, Jose worked as the legislative campaign coordinator for the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign in New York State.  After a twenty year effort, the Justice for Farmworker Campaign culminated in the passage of the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act in June 2019.K. Prior to that, Jose worked as a paralegal and Accredited Representative at the immigration department at Brooklyn Defender Services and the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project. Jose is originally from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and a graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut. 

Bhargava, Deepak

Deepak Bhargava

Deepak Bhargava is a policy expert on issues of poverty, economic justice, racial equity, and immigration, and has extensive practical experience in community organizing, leadership development, social movements, progressive strategy, issue campaigns, coalition building and voter mobilization. Prior to joining SLU, he was President and Executive Director of Community Change and Community Change Action for 16 years, two of the premier national organizations supporting grassroots community organizing in low-income communities of color in the United States. He has trained and mentored hundreds of leaders who play key roles in progressive organizations and social justice movements, and worked to establish important labor-community partnerships at the national level on issues such as immigration reform, health care, and fiscal policy.

Belcore, Becky

Becky Belcore

Becky Belcore joined NAKASEC’s staff in January 2017.  Prior to NAKASEC, Becky was an independent consultant for community-based organizations and foundations.  She also worked at Woods Fund Chicago, the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), and as a nurse and a union organizer. In addition to serving on the board of Adoptees for Justice, she is a board member of HANA Center and the Ella Baker Organizing Fund. Becky enjoys spending time with her daughter and identifies as a Korean adoptee.

Barge, Ben

Ben Barge

Ben Barge is Field Director at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. As Field Director, Ben strengthens NCRP’s relationships with U.S. social movements and philanthropic organizations to move money and power to community-led advocacy and organizing. Ben manages the Movement Investment Project and leads NCRP’s external engagement with the pro-immigrant, pro-refugee movement. He also oversees staff travel and presentations for NCRP’s major initiatives. Prior to joining NCRP, Ben worked at the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, where he facilitated grantmaking and special projects around the racial and gender wealth gap, democracy, criminalization, environmental advocacy and public education. Ben hails from Georgia, and received his undergraduate degree in political science and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bapat, Sheila

Sheila Bapat

Sheila Bapat is Senior Program Officer at the RISE Together Fund where she works with a team of five women to support grassroots Muslim, Arab and South Asian-led advocacy and organizing throughout the country. Before joining RISE Together Fund, Sheila served as Program Director at California Bar Foundation, where she launched a statewide Legal Fellowship program which helped to build capacity for legal aid while generating career entry points for law students and attorneys of diverse backgrounds. Sheila received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A. from the University of Arizona.

Ahmad, Hassan

Hassan Ahmad

Hassan Ahmad is a practicing immigration lawyer and founder of the HMA Law Firm. Fluent or proficient in nine languages, Hassan has been fighting for asylum seekers, families, and businesses for nearly 20 years. Hassab’s firm blends lawyering with advocacy, a practice borne of Hassan's belief that client representation means advocating for their interests before lawmakers. He was appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe to serve on the Virginia Asian Advisory Board from 2017 - 2019, and on the Commonwealth Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He served on the board of the Dulles Justice Coalition, the group of airport lawyers who fought the Muslim ban, and continues to serve on the board of the Virginia Coalition for Immigrants' Rights. He now serves on the first-ever Office of New Americans Advisory Board.

Schacher, Yael

Yael Schacher

Yael Schacher is senior U.S. advocate at Refugees International in Washington D.C., where she focuses on asylum, refugee admissions, and humanitarian visas. Yael’s reports for Refugees International have focused on the history of asylum in the United States and how to create more humane border policies. Prior to joining Refugees International, Yael taught about immigration at the University of Connecticut and volunteered at the legal services office of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. She has an M.A. in History and a Ph.D. in American Studies from Harvard University. 

Seniuk, Sarah

Sarah Seniuk

Sarah Seniuk serves as the Advocacy and Communications Manager for Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), a nonprofit coalition advocating with and for the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons and all other forcibly displaced populations. She leads RCUSA’s anti-racism work and #RestoringWelcome campaign which aims to hold the Biden administration accountable to center the diversity of our community needs in rebuilding the US systems of humanitarian protection. She has a MA from American University in Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights with a focus on social justice.

Sesay, Dauda

Dauda Sesay

Dauda Sesay is a former refugee from Sierra Leone. At 16, he fled his homeland due to a terrible war and was resettled to the U.S. in 2009. He earned a degree in Applied Science in Process Technology and is currently going for his BS. and HR Management degree at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. Dauda currently works at Dow Chemical and is the Vice-Chairman of Refugee Congress Board of Directors. Dauda is a community advocate and founding member and president of Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI,) assisting other refugees and immigrants with integration into the United States. He is also a member of Mayor Sharon Weston Broome International Relations Commission and Chairperson of the Commission Culture and Art Engagement.

Rios, Pedro

Pedro Rios

Pedro Rios is director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program and has worked for AFSC since 2003. He oversees a program that documents abuses by law enforcement agencies, collaborates with community groups, advocates for policy change, and works with migrant communitie to build collective leadership locally and throughout the border region. Pedro has a master’s degree in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University. Pedro is also a photographer and writer.