Loan Nguyen, President
Loan is a founding member of the SHC Board of Directors. As a refugee whose family fled post-war Vietnam in 1979, Loan cares deeply, and continuously advocates, for refugees and immigrants. Loan wants to ensure for all refugees, a transition and path forward in America that is supported by friends and community. Loan practices environmental law and regulation with the federal government, and volunteers for a variety of civic and pro bono organizations outside of her professional practice of law.
Meira Neggaz, Vice President
Meira Neggaz joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2020. Meira is the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). Before joining ISPU, Meira was the Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading international health organization working in 42 countries. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, the Guatemalan Country Representative for Curamericas, and the Intake Team Leader at the Big Brother Association of Greater Boston. She holds a BA from Huron University, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an International Health Certificate from Boston University.
Nancy Liebermann, Treasurer
Starting as a volunteer SHC tutor in January 2017, Nancy has worked with Syrian and Afghan families in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. Nancy brings her experience as a longtime Executive Director of a DC nonprofit organization focusing on affordable housing for people with mental health challenges. She has served in various Board roles at Temple Sinai where she is currently engaged in reproductive health and rights and antiracist initiatives. As an attorney, she represents low income individuals with legal issues arising from debt. Her mom was a long-time ESOL teacher and she is proud to continue her legacy.
Arabella Meyer, Secretary
Arabella Meyer works with NGOs and nonprofits, advising them on strategy, communications, and marketing. As a consultant, she has worked with Fountain House, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the UN Development program, to name a few.
She recently served as the inaugural Chief Content Officer of Driving Change, a startup media organization that aims to encourage people to go into public service. She has also led communications for Deloitte’s audit business and for its consulting business. She is passionate about welcoming refugees and immigrants and is studying for a certificate in migration studies at the New School’s Zolberg Institute. She recently relocated to Washington, DC from New York City.
Elahe Darabi
Elahe Darabi joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2019. She loves to share her experience as a refugee resettled in the US, as well as her language skills, to help others find their feet. Elahe previously worked at Foodhini, a local immigrant catering business. Prior to that she worked as a community interpreter in Turkey while studying for an arts degree. Elahe and her mother are currently pursuing certification and licensing to open a business together in Maryland.
Ebony L. Harris
Ebony L. Harris is a strategic, innovative, compassionate and creative native Washingtonian. Over more than two decades, she has served thousands of DMV area children and educators in a multitude of teaching and educational leadership capacities. She has spent the last eleven years as the principal of one of the most diverse schools in the nation where nearly one thousand students representing over 40 countries and speaking nearly 30 languages learn and grow each year. During her tenure as principal, she was instrumental in creating an instructional model to support newly arrived refugee and immigrant students. The program has been studied and duplicated in schools within the United States and Australia. Ebony’s personal mission is to support, inspire and encourage people to discover and unleash the most authentic version of themselves. During the spring of 2022, she founded Principals With Principals, LLC (PWP, LLC). She is currently working with a group of over 20 women of color who are aspiring or existing entrepreneurs as they build their business while taking care of their most valuable asset-themselves. She serves on the Advisory board for Birdseed, an organization that provides down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first time home buying residents in the DC and Philadelphia areas.
Aliya Husain
Aliya Husain joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2020. During her 20+ year career at the World Bank, Aliya has helped countries develop solutions to reduce poverty and build shared prosperity. She is currently a Country Officer for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti in the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Department. Her most recent focus is on how the World Bank can best support Yemen as it confronts war and a resulting humanitarian crisis. Prior to the World Bank, she worked at the Inter-American Development Bank for 4 years. Aliya speaks fluent Urdu. She received her B.A. from Williams College and her Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University. She is a native Washingtonian and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, daughter, stepson, and two dogs.
Farah Nageer-Kanthor
Farah Nageer-Kanthor joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2022. She brings 20+ years of program leadership in the nonprofit sector in the US and abroad. Farah currently serves as Program Manager for Nonprofit Montgomery’s collective impact initiative, overseeing programmatic deliverables, informing strategic advocacy and innovation, and deepening relationships with cross-sector partners across the county. Farah’s dedication to and experience working with people and communities in need is evidenced through her direct service, relationship building, education, and capacity building volunteerism with religious, social, and educational organizations in Silver Spring, MD. Her own experience immigrating to the US at age 11; seeing the tremendous sacrifices her parents have made to survive and allow their children to thrive in their new country; and her family’s Afghan ancestry inform her commitment to offering a welcoming hand to Afghan immigrants and refugees in her community.
Ana Ndumu
Ana Ndumu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland College Park's College of Information Studies specializing in the cross between immigration and information. She specializes in library outreach to immigrants and has worked with groups such as the American Library Association, Welcoming America, UndocuBlack, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, the Asian American Justice Center, and the We Are All America campaign.
Alan J Sachs
Alan joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2022. He is an attorney at Beveridge & Diamond, PC, the oldest and largest environmental law firm in the United States. Alan’s pro bono practice includes the representation of asylum-seekers in the DC area. Alan is also actively involved in efforts to support local Afghan families who have been resettled in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Among his other volunteer work, Alan also serves on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Projects (SIPP), which supports environmental and civil society projects in Israel and Palestine.
Loan is a founding member of the SHC Board of Directors. As a refugee whose family fled post-war Vietnam in 1979, Loan cares deeply, and continuously advocates, for refugees and immigrants. Loan wants to ensure for all refugees, a transition and path forward in America that is supported by friends and community. Loan practices environmental law and regulation with the federal government, and volunteers for a variety of civic and pro bono organizations outside of her professional practice of law.
Meira Neggaz, Vice President
Meira Neggaz joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2020. Meira is the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). Before joining ISPU, Meira was the Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading international health organization working in 42 countries. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, the Guatemalan Country Representative for Curamericas, and the Intake Team Leader at the Big Brother Association of Greater Boston. She holds a BA from Huron University, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an International Health Certificate from Boston University.
Nancy Liebermann, Treasurer
Starting as a volunteer SHC tutor in January 2017, Nancy has worked with Syrian and Afghan families in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. Nancy brings her experience as a longtime Executive Director of a DC nonprofit organization focusing on affordable housing for people with mental health challenges. She has served in various Board roles at Temple Sinai where she is currently engaged in reproductive health and rights and antiracist initiatives. As an attorney, she represents low income individuals with legal issues arising from debt. Her mom was a long-time ESOL teacher and she is proud to continue her legacy.
Arabella Meyer, Secretary
Arabella Meyer works with NGOs and nonprofits, advising them on strategy, communications, and marketing. As a consultant, she has worked with Fountain House, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the UN Development program, to name a few.
She recently served as the inaugural Chief Content Officer of Driving Change, a startup media organization that aims to encourage people to go into public service. She has also led communications for Deloitte’s audit business and for its consulting business. She is passionate about welcoming refugees and immigrants and is studying for a certificate in migration studies at the New School’s Zolberg Institute. She recently relocated to Washington, DC from New York City.
Elahe Darabi
Elahe Darabi joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2019. She loves to share her experience as a refugee resettled in the US, as well as her language skills, to help others find their feet. Elahe previously worked at Foodhini, a local immigrant catering business. Prior to that she worked as a community interpreter in Turkey while studying for an arts degree. Elahe and her mother are currently pursuing certification and licensing to open a business together in Maryland.
Ebony L. Harris
Ebony L. Harris is a strategic, innovative, compassionate and creative native Washingtonian. Over more than two decades, she has served thousands of DMV area children and educators in a multitude of teaching and educational leadership capacities. She has spent the last eleven years as the principal of one of the most diverse schools in the nation where nearly one thousand students representing over 40 countries and speaking nearly 30 languages learn and grow each year. During her tenure as principal, she was instrumental in creating an instructional model to support newly arrived refugee and immigrant students. The program has been studied and duplicated in schools within the United States and Australia. Ebony’s personal mission is to support, inspire and encourage people to discover and unleash the most authentic version of themselves. During the spring of 2022, she founded Principals With Principals, LLC (PWP, LLC). She is currently working with a group of over 20 women of color who are aspiring or existing entrepreneurs as they build their business while taking care of their most valuable asset-themselves. She serves on the Advisory board for Birdseed, an organization that provides down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first time home buying residents in the DC and Philadelphia areas.
Aliya Husain
Aliya Husain joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2020. During her 20+ year career at the World Bank, Aliya has helped countries develop solutions to reduce poverty and build shared prosperity. She is currently a Country Officer for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti in the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Department. Her most recent focus is on how the World Bank can best support Yemen as it confronts war and a resulting humanitarian crisis. Prior to the World Bank, she worked at the Inter-American Development Bank for 4 years. Aliya speaks fluent Urdu. She received her B.A. from Williams College and her Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University. She is a native Washingtonian and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, daughter, stepson, and two dogs.
Farah Nageer-Kanthor
Farah Nageer-Kanthor joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2022. She brings 20+ years of program leadership in the nonprofit sector in the US and abroad. Farah currently serves as Program Manager for Nonprofit Montgomery’s collective impact initiative, overseeing programmatic deliverables, informing strategic advocacy and innovation, and deepening relationships with cross-sector partners across the county. Farah’s dedication to and experience working with people and communities in need is evidenced through her direct service, relationship building, education, and capacity building volunteerism with religious, social, and educational organizations in Silver Spring, MD. Her own experience immigrating to the US at age 11; seeing the tremendous sacrifices her parents have made to survive and allow their children to thrive in their new country; and her family’s Afghan ancestry inform her commitment to offering a welcoming hand to Afghan immigrants and refugees in her community.
Ana Ndumu
Ana Ndumu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland College Park's College of Information Studies specializing in the cross between immigration and information. She specializes in library outreach to immigrants and has worked with groups such as the American Library Association, Welcoming America, UndocuBlack, the Haitian Bridge Alliance, the Asian American Justice Center, and the We Are All America campaign.
Alan J Sachs
Alan joined the SHC Board of Directors in 2022. He is an attorney at Beveridge & Diamond, PC, the oldest and largest environmental law firm in the United States. Alan’s pro bono practice includes the representation of asylum-seekers in the DC area. Alan is also actively involved in efforts to support local Afghan families who have been resettled in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Among his other volunteer work, Alan also serves on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Projects (SIPP), which supports environmental and civil society projects in Israel and Palestine.
