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Staff News
Comings, Goings and Service Awards
  Pai
"Paul" Uk began May 1 as program
coordinator for services to Burmese asylees. Paul was one of over 900
who received U.S. asylum after fleeing Burma's oppressive military regime
in the fall of 2000. The group first came to the tiny U.S. territory of
Guam, where Paul helped organize support for them and first assisted LIRS's
work with the refugees by serving as a translator. In Burma Paul had taught
a college curriculum with Church on the Rock, Paletwa Myo, Yapitaung,
since 1999 and had ministered as an assistant pastor to various communities
in that area since 1994. In 1988 Paul created the Paletwa Student Union
and served as its secretary. He received a bachelor's in theology at New
Life College, Bangalore, India, in 1993 and a master's in Bible and missions
at the Theological Center for Asia, Singapore, in 1998.
 Kathy
Barrett is LIRS's new director for children's services effective May
16. She previously worked with the National Center for Children and Families
(formerly the Baptist Home for Children and Families), Bethesda, Md.,
first as director for adolescent services since 1996, then as deputy executive
director for program administration since 1999. With a 1980 bachelor's
in psychology from Virginia State University and a 1995 master's in social
work from Virginia Commonwealth University, Kathy has held many other
positions in the human services field. She worked as a therapist with
Recovery and Family Treatment, Alexandria, Va., in 1996; a beneficiary
and provider relations specialist, then a service specialist with Health
Management Strategies International, also in Alexandria, 1993-96; a clinical
assessment specialist, Dominion Hospital, Falls Church, Va., 1990-92;
a supervisor and chemical dependency counselor, then an intake coordinator,
then a referral development specialist for Southwood Psychiatric Center,
Chula Vista, Calif., 1986-90; and also a chemical dependency counselor
for McAlister Institute for Treatment and Education, El Cajon, Calif.,
1987.
 Christine
Gedim joined the LIRS staff May 16 as case processing assistant
in the Resettlement Department. A former refugee from Southern Sudan,
Christine graduated in 1998 from the College of Professional Management,
Nairobi, Kenya, with a group diploma in principles of modern office
management and administration, communication, computers, and personnel
and industrial relations. She is fluent in English, Arabic and Swahili
and also speaks some French. Christine comes to us from the Baltimore
Resettlement Center, where she had served since 1999 in several
capacities including program assistant/case aide, employment assistant
and, most recently, office manager. Prior to that, she had worked
as an administrative counselor for Jesuit Refugee Services and the
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Nairobi during 1992-99 and
as a secretary and assistant personnel manager for the Combined
Agencies Relief Team, Juba, Sudan. In her new position she provides
administrative support for the LIRS processing unit and assists
in handling affidavits of relationship and interests.
 Vice
president for finance and administration since June 17, Lisa
Negstad comes to us from just a floor away, having served as
controller for our sister agency, Lutheran World Relief, since 1997.
In that capacity she also oversaw accounting functions for the Lutheran
Center Corporation. Lisa's other experience includes overseas relief
and development work with Church World Service in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
where she gained proficiency in Khmer while serving first as finance
and administration manager in 1994 and then as advisor on credit
programs until 1997. She worked as resource coordinator for the
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, Washington, D.C., during
1989-92. Lisa is currently second vice-chair of the board of Omaha-based
disability organization Bethphage Inc. and until recently served
as investment advisor for Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Washington,
D.C. Lisa's educational background includes a 1989 bachelor's in
psychology from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and a 1994 MBA from
Yale University School of Management, New Haven, Conn. In her new
position she will serve as chief financial officer for the agency.
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Connie Arnett, administrative assistant
to the vice president for resettlement since October 1999, has moved
into the position of executive assistant to the office of the president
effective June 26. Connie had been fulfilling the duties of the
position on an acting basis since May 1.
Recent departures from the agency include Washington
Representative Merrill Smith, who left May 15, and Contract
Manager for RefugeeWorks Karen Heist, who left June 5. We
wish both Merrill and Karen all the best in their future endeavors.
The LIRS staff gathered May 14 for an informal
ice cream social in honor of five employees who had reached milestones
in their service to the agency.  Each
received a newly designed sterling silver pin with the LIRS logo
and an emerald for five years' service or a ruby for 10 years'.
The awardees and their original hire dates are Vice President for
Programs Annie Wilson, currently serving as acting president,
December 1990; LIRS President Ralston Deffenbaugh, January
1991; Director for Children's Services Susan Schmidt, who
has recently left the agency, June 1995; Director for Ambassadors
Circle Denise Laugtug, January 1996; and Controller Carol
Bohatila, October 1996. LIRS honors and thanks these colleagues
for their dedication to welcoming the stranger!
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In
Memoriam
Pamela Meyer, 1940-2002
 Pamela
Meyer, who served with LIRS as executive assistant to
the office of the president since August 1999, passed away
June 4 from cancer. She was 61. Pamela had previously worked
with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Division
for Global Mission in the Windhoek, Namibia, office of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia. During 1976-86 she
served first as secretary, then as administrative assistant,
in the general secretary's office of Lutheran World Ministries
in New York. Pamela had worked with LIRS President Ralston
Deffenbaugh off and on during her years of service with the
church bodies. A native of Yorkshire, England, Pamela had
grown up in an army family, living in a number of places,
including three years in Ghana. In 1961 she came to the United
States as a nanny for a Long Island, N.Y., family. Pamela
is survived by four children—John, Suzanne, George and
Elizabeth““—and seven grandchildren—Stephan,
Hannah, Colin, Lana, Matthew, Katie and Lily. Her cheerful
spirit and energetic dedication will be missed by all who
knew her. A memorial service was held June 7 at Christ Lutheran
Church, next door to the LIRS offices in Baltimore. Pamela's
family returned her ashes to England for interment.
At the request of Pamela and her family,
contributions made to LIRS in her memory will be given to
the Baltimore Resettlement Center and used to cover the expenses
of resettling a family locally. For more information, contact
Resource Development Assistant Everett Johnson, 410/230-2786
or ejohnson@lirs.org.
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