Our Board of Directors
As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, our Board of Directors includes 19 individuals with extensive experience in advocacy, fundraising, finance, communications, and international development. The board oversees Jesuit Refugee Service/USA’s work and helps to ensure we make progress in service of our mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons around the world.
Current members:
Robert H. Niehaus (Chair of the Board)
Robert Niehaus is the Chairman and Founder of GCP Capital Partners LLC, an independent private equity investment firm founded in 2009, which currently manages several private successor firms to Greenhill Capital Partners LLC.
Austin Fragomen Jr. (Vice Chair of the Board)
Austin Fragomen Jr. is the Chairman of the Executive Committee for Fragomen Worldwide and has served as assistant counsel, subcommittee on immigration, citizenship and international law, U.S. House of Representatives, previously Adjunct Professor at New York University School of Law and Chairman of the City Bar Justice Center.
He is a co-author of the treatise Immigration Law and Business as well as a series of Handbooks published by Thomson Reuters/West. He earned his J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve School of Law and B.S. from Georgetown University
Lidia Bastianich
Lidia Bastianich is an Italian American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, Bastianich has been a regular contributor to public television cooking shows since 1998.
In 2014, she launched her fifth television series, Lidia’s Kitchen. She owns or has owned a number of Italian restaurants across the U.S. Bastianich and her family fled Yugoslavia in 1956 and lived in a refugee camp in Italy. Two years later, their displaced persons application was granted to emigrate from Italy to the United States. In 1958, Bastianich and her family reached the United States, settling in New Jersey.
Molly Cashin
Molly Cashin has long experience as a writer, editor, development officer, policy analyst, and administrator for nonprofit organizations based in both the United States and Africa.
Chris Curtin
Chris Curtin is currently SVP, Head of Digital, Social and Rewards at Bank of America where he is responsible for enterprise social media strategy, Preferred Rewards and client loyalty strategies, and cross-segment execution.
With more than 20 years of experience in marketing strategy, innovation, and operations, Chris has deep expertise across disciplines. He is a unique executive who has successfully led transformative initiatives on behalf of three category-leading companies: Visa, Hewlett-Packard and The Walt Disney Company. Chris is a featured speaker and thought leader on marketing, digital transformation, and high-impact leadership, having guest lectured at Stanford, Duke, and Georgetown.
He is part of the investor group behind NWSL team The Washington Spirit. He is a member of the Spotify Board of Advisors, Georgetown University’s Law Center Board of Advisors, and a board member of the Washington Institute. Chris has a BA from Denison University and a JD from Georgetown University.
Mark Dewire
Mark Dewire is Chief Solicitor for the Baltimore City Department of Law where he is advising the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore City Police Department on constitutional reform efforts under a federal consent decree under the supervision of the United States District Court. Prior to that, Mark was the General Counsel of the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, an independent public policy research organization where he advised on corporate governance and a variety of legal issues. Mark is a retired partner in the corporate practice group of Wilmer Hale, where he represented public and private domestic and international companies and individuals in a variety of corporate, securities, and commercial transactions in the United States and in multinational jurisdictions.
Mark worked with the Jesuits in a leprosy relief program in Dhanbad, Bihar India while at Georgetown University and after graduation worked with the UNHCR and Catholic Relief Services’ unaccompanied minors program on the Thai-Cambodian border during the Cambodian refugee crisis. In 2015, while on sabbatical from his law practice, Mark worked in Phnom Penh with the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal as a lawyer on the staff of the Co-Investigating Judge. In addition, Mark is also a Trustee of the Cape May Fund, a philanthropy that supports Jesuit and Nativity model schools across the country.
Lynn Gordon
Lynn Gordon is the Founder and CEO of Madonna Mission a leading not-for-profit organization that provides essential educational and cultural support programs for refugees in the Chicago area. Madonna Mission provides a safe community which promotes human dignity among all its students.
Lynn has also served on a number of other leadership positions including Vanderbilt University National Parent’s Fund Co-Chair and Dartmouth College President’s Leadership Council.
Fr. Thomas Greene, S.J.
Fr. Thomas Greene, S.J. is the provincial superior of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. Previously, Fr. Greene served as Secretary for Social and International Ministries at the Jesuit Conference of the United States in Washington, D.C. A native of New Orleans, Fr. Greene has been involved in ministry to refugees and forcibly displaced people for many years.
Kate Howe
Kate Howe is a former public accountant and media salesperson who found her passion addressing the needs of underserved populations in the New York metropolitan area, primarily focusing on youth literacy and elder care. She has created and led literacy programs in inner-city schools and residential treatment centers that aim to empower youth through reading. Kate also has ongoing direct involvement in a variety of social service programs that address the physical and emotional needs of senior citizens in her community. She and her husband, Steve, are the proud parents of four adult children.
Rosemary Kilkenny
Rosemary Kilkenny is Georgetown University’s first Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity. Before this appointment, Rosemary held the position of Special Assistant to the President for Affirmative Action Programs at Georgetown and served as Director of Affirmative Action at SUNY Albany.
Hiroko Kusuda
Hiroko Kusuda is Clinic Professor and Director of Immigration Law Section of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Center for Social Justice. Under her supervision, student practitioners represent clients before the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and federal courts.
John Thon Majok
John Thon Majok is the Director of Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In his time at the Wilson Center, Majok has served and continues to hold several leadership positions, including deputy director for the Development Department, senior director of Grants Management, and senior program analyst with the Global Risk and Resilience Program.
Before he joined the Wilson Center in 2013, Majok was at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, where he developed strategic outreach plans for U.S. government exchange alumni, including those of Fulbright and International Visitor Leadership Program. Prior to this, he served as program officer at the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, managing a study abroad portfolio of the U.S. Department of State-funded Critical Language Scholarship Program.
In 2006, he coordinated the global recruitment of skilled professionals for the Diaspora Skills Transfer Program for Southern Sudan, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Academy for Educational Development. His perspective on forced displacement is informed by lived experience: Majok came to the U.S. after 13 years in refugee camps in Africa. He graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Policy and holds a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University.
Frank Mueller
Frank Mueller, formerly the Medical Director of Palliative Medicine at Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital in Santa Rosa, California.
Lou Nieto
Lou Nieto is president of Nieto Advisory. He retired in 2009 as president of ConAgra’s Consumer Foods business. He was previously President of ConAgra Meats (2005) and President/CEO of the Federated Group (2002 to 2005). He was a Group President of Dean Foods (1999 to 2002). Earlier, he spent 2 years with Mission Foods, 10 years with Kraft Foods and 5 years with Quaker Oats.
Lou has served on the Ryder Systems board since 2007 and on the Auto Zone board (2008 to 2019) and as board chair of Fresh & Ready Foods (2014 to 2021).
Lou focuses on increasing educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth. He served as the founding Board Chair of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (1994 to 1996) and as a board member until 2000. Lou is currently on the Chicago Community Trust and the Chicago Archdiocesan Schools boards. He is a former trustee of St. Ignatius College Prep.
Lou earned a Harvard MBA and a University of Chicago BA. He is an alumnus of St. Ignatius College Prep, in Chicago.
Mark Palmer
Mark Palmer is a financial executive with experience in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Catholic Relief Services for 19 years and is currently on the investment committee of CRS’ “Closing the Opportunity Gap” investment vehicle and is a member on the Board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), an affiliate of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He also serves as Treasurer for the International Catholic Migration Commission. He lives in Baltimore, MD and is the head of the Finance Committee at his parish, St. Vincent de Paul.
Rev. Brian Paulson, S.J.
Fr. Brian Paulson, S.J. is President of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Prior to his current position, he served as provincial of the USA Midwest Province, president of Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, and as rector of the Loyola University Chicago Jesuit Community.
Fr. Paulson earned a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. before joining the Jesuits in 1981, and he later earned a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
British Robison
British Robinson was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. British oversaw the strategic direction and all operations of the public charity, which was established by former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1989.
Stephanie Russell, Ed.D
Stephanie Russell, Ed.D serves as the Vice President for Mission Integration for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Her duties include designing and implementing programs to help Jesuit colleges and universities enhance their mission effectiveness, and supporting linkages among the schools in the Jesuit higher education network.
Fadi Samman
Fadi Samman is partner at the international law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP where he focuses on the representation of domestic and international fund sponsors in connection with organizing, structuring and operating private investment funds, including private equity funds, real estate funds, venture capital funds, fund of funds, secondary funds, and hedge funds.
He has been recognized by Chambers and Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in his field. Fadi joined Akin Gump as an associate in 2001. Fadi also serves as the Chairman of the firm’s Retirement Committee which oversees the management of the firm employee benefit and pension plans.
Prior to Akin Gump, Fadi was an associate at two other international law firms. Fadi received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1996 and his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1999. Fadi was born and grew up in the Washington, DC area. He currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife (Amy) and his two children, Alice and George. Fadi is a product of Jesuit education having attended Georgetown Preparatory School and Georgetown University. In addition to spending time with his family, Fadi enjoys playing golf and is an avid fan of Washington, DC sports teams. He also enjoys curating his music collection and exploring and discovering new music acts.
Kristen Watson
Kristen Watson is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with a robust background in both small business and non-profit leadership. She played a pivotal role in spearheading fundraising and capital campaigns during the formative years of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, a member of the national Cristo Rey Network of schools. Kristen’s efforts were instrumental in securing the school’s permanent campus and restoring its financial stability.
Her passion centers on expanding educational access to empower individuals to realize their potential and become impactful contributors to society. Currently, Kristen extends her influence as a mentor to first-generation college students and young adults resettled in her Illinois community from other countries.
Jason Zenk
Jason Zenk is a senior managing director at EnTrustGlobal, an alternative investment firm based in New York City. He has extensive experience in higher education leadership. He currently serves on the Santa Clara University Board of Regents and previously served as a member of the university’s Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education Advisory Board. He is also a trustee of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies a globally-focused research center located at University of Southern California. Additionally, Jason was appointed to serve on the advisory council of Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya.
In 2022, Jason became an Ignatian Legacy Fellow affiliated with Loyola University of Chicago; a yearlong program sponsored by a collection of world-wide Jesuit universities. The program is designed to help participants better understand where they might be called to use their gifts in service of others.