Staff
Refugee Council USA is chaired by the executives of member agencies on a rotating basis and has two full time staff.
RCUSA Chair: Robert Carey, Vice President of Resettlement, International Rescue Committee
Bob Carey has served as Vice President of IRC’s Resettlement Department since March 1995. Providing oversight and guidance to IRC’s resettlement programs, he serves as an agency spokesperson on issues of refugee admissions and resettlement. Bob joined the IRC in 1985 and worked as a Program Coordinator in the Resettlement Department before becoming the Director of IRC’s national resettlement program. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Refugee Council USA and currently sits on the Department of State’s Joint Regional Working Group for Southeast Asia. Besides participating in numerous overseas delegations, Bob has also represented the organization at domestic and international conferences, including UNHCR’s Annual Tri-partite Meeting on Resettlement. Bob recently traveled to Jordan and Syria as part of IRC’s assessment mission to the region, evaluating conditions faced by Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries and identifying opportunities for resettlement to the United States. He is a graduate of Trinity College and attended Fordham Law School.
RCUSA Vice-Chair: Sarnata Reynolds, Policy and Advocacy Director, Refugee and Migrants' Rights, Amnesty International USA
Sarnata Reynolds is the Policy Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA. In this position she promotes the enforcement of international human rights standards pertaining to refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. Sarnata also serves as the Vice-Chair of Refugee Council USA and Chair of the Iraqi Refugee Working Group. She provides testimony before Congress regularly and has discussed the indefinite detention of stateless children before the Human Rights and Children’s Caucuses and provided insight into the plight of Darfuri refugee children to the Children’s Caucus. She is currently focused on a few issues, including the arbitrary detention of migrants and asylum seekers in the United States. She is the author of multiple articles analyzing different facets of immigration law including asylum, detention and due process issues in removal proceedings.
RCUSA Director: Naomi Steinberg
Naomi Steinberg is the Director of Refugee Council USA (RCUSA). In this position she coordinates and oversees the overall work of the Council. This work includes facilitating communication between RCUSA and other nongovernmental organizations and coalitions that share similar objectives, as well as fostering collaborations with federal and state partners and the Council. In addition, she is responsible for promoting strong communication between the Council and international bodies, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies. Prior to joining RCUSA, Naomi was the Deputy Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). At SEARAC she focused on building the capacity of community-based, refugee-led organizations. She holds an M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies from Cornell University and a B.A. in Political Science from Macalester College.
RCUSA Associate Director: Leslie Miller
Leslie Miller is the Associate Director of Refugee Council USA, a coalition of U.S. non-governmental organizations focused on refugee protection. RCUSA provides advocacy on issues affecting the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons, victims of trafficking, and victims of torture in the United States and across the world. In this position she works to build consensus among member organizations and act as a liaison with other non-governmental organizations, state, and federal partners on refugee resettlement and refugee policy issues. Prior to joining Refugee Council USA, Leslie worked with Detention Watch Network to enhance member collaboration on various aspects of detention and deportation. She has previously worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Center for Peace Building International, and Church World Service/Immigration and Refugee Program. She holds an M.A. in Human Rights & Global Environmental Policy from American University, and a B.A. in Criminology & International Affairs from the University of Denver.
