Prominent Maine Immigrant Non-Profit Organization Names Executive Director

Contact:

Mary Allen Lindemann, Board Chair

Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center

24 Preble Street, 3rd Floor

Portland, ME 04101

(207) 831-7051

info@welcomeimmigrant.org

Prominent Maine Immigrant Non-Profit Organization Names Executive Director

Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center announces Reza Jalali as Executive Director 

Portland, Maine – December 7, 2020: The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (GPIWC), a non-profit organization focused on strengthening the immigrant community through language acquisition, economic integration and civic engagement in Maine, has appointed Reza Jalali Executive Director.  The role became vacant after the passing of co-founder and Executive Director Alain Jean Claude Nahimana in May and had been filled on an interim basis by Shima Kabirigi, also a co-founder. 

Jalali, a former refugee and a longtime Maine resident, has taught at the University of Southern Maine (USM) and Bangor Theological Seminary. From 2006 to 2017, Jalali coordinated the USM Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and oversaw the Multicultural Center at USM. Most recently, he served as the Special Advisor on equity and inclusion to the President at USM.  He has been recognized as one of the eminent ethnic Americans in Making it in America: a sourcebook on eminent ethnic Americans. Jalali is a community organizer and an advocate for immigrants. He founded Portland’s first immigrant advocacy center, with an office at the former Chestnut Street Methodist Church. The center served as a home for a coalition of Maine’s early immigrant groups. The coalition he created is credited with planting the seeds for the establishment of Maine’s immigrant-founded and immigrant-run organizations in later years. As a member of Amnesty International USA’s Board of Directors, Jalali has led delegations to refugee camps in Turkey and Bosnia. He has participated in many United Nations-sponsored international conferences and was invited to the White House as part of a national delegation to discuss the plight of Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq. 

“As a former refugee, I feel honored to be given the chance to serve the immigrant communities. I see it as repaying my debts to a state that has offered me the opportunity to start a new life. Guided by our mission and supported by my team and the board, we will focus on elevating the integration of New Mainers, to ensure Greater Portland’s thriving immigrant community reaches its civic, economic, cultural, and social potential,” said Jalali.

Jalali is also a writer and educator. He has been a storyteller on the NPR’s nationally-acclaimed The Moth Radio Hour and is author of several books including a children's book, Moon Watchers: Shirin’s Ramadan Miracles, which received a Skipping Stones Honor Award for Multicultural Book. His forthcoming book, co-authored with Morgan Rielly, telling the stories of Maine’s immigrants, is due for publication in June 2021. The book is a sequel to the 2009 New Mainers, which Jalali helped publish. In addition to receiving numerous awards, Jalali has been included in 50 In 52 Journey, a national project to name “Americans who are problem-solvers, idea-generators in their communities, cities, and States and are moving America forward.”

Jalali has a master’s degree in human services administration from Antioch New England Graduate School and an MFA in Creative Writing from USM.  He has served on numerous boards and currently, is a member of the Maine Arts Commission and the advisory board of the New England Arab American Organization (NEAAO) Asian American Association of Maine.  He lives in Falmouth with his wife Jaleh and is the father of two grown children.

In making the announcement,  Board Chair Mary Allen Lindemann said, “Shima, our search committee, board and staff have done an extraordinary job over the past six months ensuring the Center continued to do the work in process while navigating the many challenges Covid has presented along with the unexpected death of our Executive Director.  We could not be more fortunate to have someone with Mr. Jalali’s experience, both personal and professional,  take on leadership of the Center as we move forward.”

Kossi Gamedah, Board Member and Chair of the Search Committee added, “The Search Committee and GPIWC are pleased with the outcome of the search. We thank Ian Yaffe, Cathy Lee, Adele Ngoy, Kim Anania, Michael Brennan, Shima Kabirigi and all who contributed to the search or expressed interest in the position. Special thanks to Kim Anania of KMA HR for her role in the process. The position attracted a rich and diverse swath of candidates. More than forty applications were received from around the country. Ultimately, we  know that Reza's leadership and deep ties to Maine and the communities we serve, will be a tremendous asset to the GPIWC's operations and mission". 

Shima Kabirigi added, “The loss of our co-founding member and executive director, Alain Nahimana, coupled with the global pandemic, acutely impacted the GPIWC, its staff, and board. We were tested in numerous ways, but we proved to be resilient and tenacious. Our resiliency is directly tied to our unwavering commitment to our mission and value. What we created three years ago, not only resonates with our community but reflects the aspiration we had when we created this organization, that all immigrants can reach their full civic and economic potential. I look forward to having Reza lead us towards that vision.” 

In hearing the selection of Jalali, Clemence Nahishakiye, mother of Alain Jean Claude Nahimana, shared, “I want to congratulate GPIWC and Mr. Reza Jalali for his new role as the Executive Director.  Mr. Jalali’s biography indicates he has a lot in common with my son Alain Jean Claude —  mainly a sense of community, inclusive values, and the desire to always help others. My hope was that my son’s successor shares the same values so his vision, his legacy and his tireless advocacy work for civil rights and immigrants can continue. Best of luck and blessings to Mr. Reza Jalali.”

About the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center: GPIWC  is a Portland, ME based not for profit organization that serves as a hub of collaboration to help Maine’s thriving immigrant community fully reach its civic, economic and social potential. It provides tailored, digital language acquisition, business development support, citizenship and civic engagement information. For more information, visit www.welcomeimmigrant.org.

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