OUR TEAM
CATHLEEN JOYCE – Former Executive Director
The ANSOB Center continues to be overseen by one of the organization’s co-founders, Cathleen Joyce. In her capacity as Executive Director, Ms. Joyce supervises all agency staff and operations, monitors program performance and outcomes, and maintains responsibility for funding and grant management. She acts as one of the Center’s BIA Accredited Representatives and provides much needed immigration legal services to the community. Ms. Joyce has more than twenty years’ experience serving the resettlement needs of immigrant and refugee populations and over a decade of experience supervising and managing programs designed to help new arrivals adjust to life in the United States. Before founding the ANSOB Center, she taught ESL abroad, worked with unaccompanied refugee minors in the US, and oversaw a refugee employment program. She holds a BA in Political Science and Asian Studies, and an MA in Counseling.
Iman Mehelba – Executive Director
Iman has been at the Ansob Center for more than 16 years and plays a key role in the Center’s daily operations. She is also the lead teacher and has a very strong passion for teaching . She is the current Executive Director at the ANSOB Center and a highly skilled and experienced immigration specialist and DOJ Accredited Representative. She has served as the Director of Training and Education for many years. She brings her years of expertise to the agency’s most essential programs, including our Job Placement, ESL, and Immigration Legal Services programs. She is also responsible for the development of our successful Citizenship Instruction and ESL class curriculum. Ms. Mehelba is active in outreach and is a valuable and trusted resource in the community. She oversees the recruitment of volunteers and the training of new staff at the Center. She also organizes workshops and educational events at the Agency. Prior to joining the ANSOB Center, Ms. Mehelba worked abroad teaching ESL to orphaned children. After she graduated with a bachelor's degree, she went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education from Touro College. She has also earned a post graduate Certificate in Methods and Techniques in Teaching ESL from The New School University.
IOANA OPRIS – Programs Coordinator
Ioana Opris joined the ANSOB Center in 2014. She is the Center’s lead Employment Specialist and also works in the Immigration Legal Services Program. Ms. Opris helps newly arrived refugees and political asylum recipients obtain employment, apply for immigration benefits, and access services. She oversees the Center’s special projects and is active in many aspects of the agency’s operations, including fundraising and coordinating communication between the ANSOB Center and the media. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Opris interned at the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations. She also worked as an intern for the ONE Campaign, an advocacy group fighting extreme poverty abroad. She holds a BA in International Relations from Bennington College and she is fluent in English, Romanian, French and Spanish.
JOSEPH SULLIVAN – Citizenship Instructor & Program Assistant
Joseph Sullivan joined the ANSOB Center in 2016. He is responsible for teaching citizenship classes and provides program support for the Immigration Legal Services Program. Mr. Sullivan has worked with diverse populations including students from underprivileged backgrounds and adult immigrant learners of English language and American history. Prior to joining the Center, he worked at the Vassar College Writing Center and the non-profit Harlem Children's Zone, and taught at the International Center of Catholic Charities in lower Manhattan. He received his BA in English from Vassar College and later completed his training in TESOL at the New School. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
JORGE EDUARDO RAMIREZ TREJO – Immigration Attorney
Eduardo Ramirez Trejo provides Immigration Legal counsel and application assistance for complex cases at the ANSOB Center for Refugees. He also provides supervision and guidance for the Center’s BIA Accredited Representatives. Mr. Ramirez Trejo is employed as a full time attorney at Lutheran Social Services of New York and works at the ANSOB Center one day per week. He earned his Juris Doctor from The University of Mississippi School of Law and then went on to pass the New York State Bar Exam. He is a native speaker of English and Spanish.
SARAH SCHNEIDER – ESL Instructor
Sarah Schneider teaches beginner level ESL classes for adult immigrant learners. She is a trained Speech-Language Pathologist and has international teaching experience in Hungary and South Africa. She has a Master’s Degree from Southern Connecticut State University in Communication Disorders, and a BA in English Language and Literature.
