Leadership changes are in the wind these days. Two recent announcements of note:
Ali Noorani, the dynamic executive director of the MA Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition since November 2003, is moving to new challenges in Washington DC. Ali helped to turn around an organization in trouble and has been a respected and courageous advocate and spokesperson on immigration and refugee issues. He will be missed around town.
And Michael DeChiara, executive director of Community Partners, the Amherst-based health access organization, is also stepping down this summer. Here’s a bit of his statement:
I am very proud of the work that Community Partners has achieved during my time here. We have certainly contributed much to outreach and enrollment in Massachusetts (and nationally) from piloting community outreach and enrollment in 1997 and the development of the Health Access Network in 1998 to our Moving Beyond Enrollment and Portable Electronic Enrollment programs that pushed the envelope how to make O&E more effective. And I know our email and website efforts are relied on heavily by people across the Commonwealth.
I am confident that Community Partners will be in good hands. I am pleased to say that Meg Kroeplin will take over as Acting Director upon my departure in July. Anne Rosen and Laura Anderson will remain as part of our expert health access team.
Congrats to Ali and Michael and best wishes to MIRA and Community Partners in their big transitions.
