The new american's pathway ensures new americans in metro atlanta can become successful, contributing, and welcomed member of georgia's communities.
our mission
New American Pathways is an Atlanta based nonprofit with the mission of Helping Refugees and Georgia Thrive. Our vision is for new Americans in metro Atlanta to become successful, contributing, and welcomed members of Georgia’s communities. We fulfill our goals by offering the most comprehensive, fully integrated continuum of services targeted to meet the specific needs of refugees and other immigrants in Georgia.
Our services support new Americans on their individual pathways from arrival through citizenship with programs that focus on four key milestones along the pathway – Safety & Stability, Self-Sufficiency, Success, and Service. Programs work in concert to guide new Americans on their individual pathways to long-term success.
| Our Leadership
Paedia Mixon
Chief Executive Officer
EDUCATION:
Master of International Affairs and Development, Clark Atlanta University
BA in Political Science, International Affairs, Georgia State University
EXPERIENCE:
Paedia has worked at New American Pathways (and its predecessor Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta) for fifteen years and has over twenty years’ experience in refugee service. Paedia is a leader in Georgia’s refugee and immigrant serving community and has helped to create a culture of collaboration among service providers that sets Georgia apart. She was a founding member and the first chair of the Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies (CRSA), a 21 member advocacy coalition that works to ensure Georgia is a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees. She led the successful merger of Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta and Refugee Family Services from initial concept through the creation of New American Pathways on October 1, 2014. In 2019, she helped create the Welcome Co-op, a shared services organization that provides logistics support to local resettlement agencies at a time of change in federal policy.
Under Paedia’s leadership, New American Pathways’ has created a comprehensive service model that guides a refugee’ s journey from arrival through citizenship, diversified funding to reduce dependence on the federal government and launched new programs supporting career advancement and civic engagement. Prior to New AP, Paedia served in programming and fundraising roles at Junior Achievement Worldwide, the Carter Center and Catholic Social Services. She is an alum of Leadership Atlanta (2016), Leadership DeKalb (2012), Harvard Business School’s Executive Nonprofit Leadership Program for “Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management” (2013), and Fanning Institute’s Executive Leadership Program in Non-profit Organizations (2010).
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING AT NEW AP?
What I love most about New American Pathways is our team. The people who work at New AP are among some of the most passionate, skilled and hard working people I have ever met. Our team members come from all over the world and bring a wide range of skills, ideas and perspectives to our work. Our commitment to the mission brings us together as family.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN ATLANTA?
I moved a lot when I was a kid and Atlanta is the first place I really ever thought of as home. My husband, daughter and I live in the city and we love it! There are so many things I like to do in Atlanta but my favorite is dressing up and going to Dragoncon with my daughter.
YOU’RE SPENDING THE DAY IN CLARKSTON. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I am eating lunch at Merhaba Shwarma, shopping for African jewelry at Johari Africa and meeting a community partner for coffee at Refuge Coffee.
Nancy Gaddy
Chief Advancement Officer
EDUCATION:
Master of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Southern Methodist University
EXPERIENCE:
Nancy Gaddy has over 20 years of experience working with non-profit organizations across the southeast, engaged in fundraising and external affairs. As Regional Director of Philanthropy with Mercy Housing, the nation’s largest non-profit provider of affordable housing, Nancy was responsible for all fundraising, marketing, community and media relations activities throughout Mercy Housing’s southeast geographic footprint. Nancy has directed fundraising and external communications for arts and cultural organizations, including the High Museum of Art, Georgia Public Broadcasting, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and she led the $131 million capital campaign to build the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING AT NEW AP?
As the granddaughter of refugees, I have a strong personal connection to what it means to flee your homeland due to religious or political persecution. Lives absolutely depend on the work of New American Pathways. I love the work we do and am grateful for the opportunity use my talents and abilities to advance our cause.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN ATLANTA?
I love exploring the city and finding new and wonderful activities to engage in every single day.
YOU’RE SPENDING THE DAY IN CLARKSTON. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I enjoy checking out all of the ethnic eating and shopping within such close proximity to each other.
Carey Serafin
Director of Programs
EDUCATION:
Master of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Master of Social Work, Community Practice, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor of Science, Family and Community Services, Berry College
EXPERIENCE:
Carey Serafin has over 12 years of experience working with immigrant populations in the U.S. through previous positions held with New American Pathways and World Relief Atlanta. She previously worked with the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch of the North Carolina Division of Public Health, helping connect vulnerable communities to local farmers’ markets through a grant with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier in her career, Carey served as the Communications Coordinator for Food For The Hungry’s Child Development Program in Belo Jegenfoy, Ethiopia as well as provided school social work services for Chapel Hill-Carrboro city schools in North Carolina.
WHY NEW AP?
It is a privilege to walk alongside families as they start a new life in Georgia and to play a role in connecting them with the information and services they need. I love that New American Pathways offers a multitude of services that extend well beyond a client’s resettlement period. And I love our diverse staff. Our potlucks are the best!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO IN ATLANTA?
Grabbing a good book and a good reading spot at the Botanical Garden then heading over to Krog Street Market to eat at Recess, my current restaurant obsession.
YOU’RE SPENDING THE DAY IN CLARKSTON. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Attending one of the many cultural events taking place at the Clarkston Community Center or at Refuge Coffee. Then popping in to someone’s home for a family meal. Especially if it’s Ethiopian!
| Staff
New American Pathways is not only an organization for refugees, we are an organization of refugees
Approximately half of our professional staff are former refugees, with more than 20 languages spoken throughout our organization. All of our programs are delivered by 50 professional staff members who are supported by a 15-member AmeriCorps team and hundreds of volunteers.
| board of directors
CHAIR
Mike Iverson
Trillium Financial
CEO
VICE CHAIR
Matthew Kim
Southern Company Gas
VP and GAS Utilities Controller
SECRETARY
Mitika Leblois
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Examiner, Consumer Compliance
TREASURER
Duffy Elliott
Elliott & Associates Wealth Advisors, Inc.
Financial Advisor
Anne Maher
Retired Senior Tax Counsel
The Coca-Cola Company
Asma Farid
Vice President & Managing Partner
Farid & Co. LLC
Constance Thakker
Director of Category Strategy & Innovation
Coca-Cola
David Valentine
Manager
Bain & Company
Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
Vice President, HR
Anthem
Ellen Ott Marshall
Professor, Emory’s Candler School of
Theology
Jack Stephens
Associate
Alston & Bird LLP
James Irungu
Chief Executive Officer Capital Billing Services, INC
Jason Korzan
Financial Representative
Consolidated Planning, Inc.
John Pinkard
Senior Manager of Freestyle Business Insights and Analytics for the McDonald’s Division at Coca-Cola
Lovely Dhillon
Chief Executive Officer, Jodevi Consulting
M. Khurram Baig
Attorney, The Baig Firm
Mauricio Briceno
Vice President
Change and Transformation Strategy
Robert Roberts
Operations Executive
TPG Capital
Samir Bajaj
VP HR International Operations
Fiserv
Sandra Robertson
Srdjan Gavrilovic
Vice President
First Citizens Bank
Tunrola Odelowo
Umar Bakhsh
Intellectual Property Associate
Eversheds Sutherland LLP
Vishal Rao
Vice President & General Manager
Industrial Solutions
| ADVISORY COUNCIL
Adriana Varela
Foreign Attorney & Manager Global Client Services, Fragomen Worldwide
Barbara Wiley
CFP, Financial Advisor, Retired Sherrill & Hutchins Financial Advisory, Inc.
Bill Rembert
Member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church
Claire Bartlett
Former Wachovia executive;
Former international sales director & consultant
Political/Christian activist
Connie Bryans
Board Member, Global Village Project
David Ross – Temporary Chair
Attorney, Former Parner, Powell Goldstein Founding Member & Chair, RISSA Board
Dr. Haval Mohamed Kelli
Elizabeth Hale
Community Volunteer
Gareth Clarke
Senior Officer, Medical Device Companies and Consultancies; Founding Board Member, RRISA
CEO, IrriMax Corp.
Jodi Rausch
Managing Director, Integrated Loyalty Solutions PK International
Justin King
King & Spalding
Partner
Kareem Ahmed
R James Properties Partner
Katie Schrack
Public Relations and Communications Consultant
Kelley Herd Lugo
Eversheds Sutherland
Senior Business Development Manager
Ken Stewart
Attorney; Senior Advisor, Industry Strategy, Georgia Tech; former executive, Georgia Pacific;
former Commissioner, Georgia Department of Economic Development
Kevin Abel
Patti Garrett
Mayor, City of Decatur
Robert Boas
Retired Senior Litigation Counsel for The Coca-Cola Company; Founding Board Member, RRISA; Former Operations Manager, International Community School
Sam Moss
Director of Finance, East Lake Foundation;
Former Wachovia executive;
Former Managing Director, Gray Ghost Ventures
Sean Bedford
Masten Space Systems
Susan Mittleman
Freelance journalist
Tom Rawls
AT&T, Retired Entertainment Counsel
Wendy Gutierrez Cheeks
Client Service Strategist Blackrock
| our history
New American Pathways is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created on October 1, 2014, by the merger of Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta (RRISA) and Refugee Family Services (RFS). Prior to the merger, RRISA and RFS shared a deep legacy of service to the refugee community in metro Atlanta. For more than two decades, the organizations provided complementary services ranging from initial resettlement to literacy, employment, youth education and school services, and immigration and citizenship assistance.
Founded in 1977 as part the Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2002, RRISA’s direct service programs (resettlement, employment, education and youth, and immigration) focused heavily on the immediate needs of refugees during their first 180 days in the United States.
RFS, which was introduced in Atlanta in 1994 as a program of Save the Children and became a 501(c)(3) in 1997, had an emphasis on longer-term needs and included programs aimed at women, youth and civic engagement.
As each organization began to consider ways to better serve Georgia’s vulnerable refugee population, the inspiration for a more formal partnership emerged. In December 2012, with support from The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, RRISA and RFS embarked on a thorough and deliberate two-year evaluation process to explore partnership options. This process culminated in the decision to form a single organization that would improve the quality of service and deliver comprehensive services more efficiently under a single roof.
Together as one stronger organization, New American Pathways provides more than 5,000 refugees per year with the necessary tools to rebuild their lives and achieve long-term success. Our specially designed programs provide proven pathways for refugees and other immigrants to realize their full potential and dreams while becoming productive, contributing members of Georgia’s communities.
