BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ashley’s passion for supporting refugees in the community along with helping individuals achieve academic success is what led her to becoming a GIL Board Member. As president she hopes to continue to help GIL expand services while meeting the needs of refugees in our community. Ashley has several years of experience working with refugees in Michigan and overseas. She has helped resettle individuals and families, worked and researched in a refugee camp and developed a robust volunteer program to support unaccompanied refugee youth in Lansing. 

In Ashley’s current role as the Access and Retention Specialist within the College of Social Science at Michigan State, she is focused on advancing educational equity and student success. Prior to this role, she was the Program Coordinator for the FAME Program at Michigan State, a support program for students who experienced foster care/homelessness. Ashley received her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Christopher Newport University (VA) and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University (NY). 

Judi Harris is the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Mid-Michigan Chapter. As such, Judi supports eleven counties to recruit volunteers, encourage life-saving trainings, build

partnerships for blood drives and raise resources to be able to respond to increasing disaster

events locally and throughout the country.

Judi recently served as Program Director for Refugee Services at St. Vincent Catholic Charities

Lansing from December 2008 – November 2022. In this role, she managed Refugee Services

staff and coordinates programs for all refugees coming to the Lansing area. Judi led her program to establish housing, health care, employment, education, and community connections for new arrivals. Judi fought to keep the refugee resettlement program working and healthy by building partnerships and conducting outreach and education to community groups, schools and universities, business and faith-based organizations around mid-Michigan.

Judi was a refugee foster parent for over 12 years and has fostered 10 children from five different countries. She is one of the founders and board Vice President of the Global Institute of Lansing, a non-profit organization that helps refugee youth earn high school diplomas. She also helped to establish and advises the All Faith Alliance for Refugees (AFAR). Judi earned a double Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and French from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Health Education from Trinity College in Washington, DC. Judi has over twenty-five years of experience in international health education and project management having lived, developed and managed health programs in Africa, the Balkans, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Judi has worked with refugees in the United States and overseas.

 John was drawn to GIL based on the organization’s role in enriching the Greater Lansing community by helping young refugee adults achieve a high school diploma. John’s passion for working with refugees comes from a transformational experience while working as the Associate Director of Marketing & Community Relations with St. Vincent Catholic Charities (STVCC), the refugee resettlement agency in Lansing. It was at STVCC where he learned the powerful and heart-wrenching personal stories of the refugees STVCC serves and Lansing’s rich refugee resettlement history. His role on the board allows him to continue to be involved in assisting young refugees on their path to achieving the American dream. 

John currently works at the Michigan Health & Hospital Association as director, communications. He has over ten years of professional marketing and communications experience, including previous roles at STVCC, Walsh College and the Plymouth Whalers. John holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Walsh College and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing degree from Michigan State University.