Meet the Team
Administration
Dr. Thach received numerous awards, including White House Champion of Change Award from President Obama, CEO of the Year Award, Distinguished Service Award, Human Right Rising Advocate Award, Power of Inclusion Award, Community Empowering Award, New Immigrant Leadership Award, Peace Ambassadors USA Award, among others. He is also the author of My New American Dream. His upcoming books include “The Life of the Leader: A loving Memory of Deng Ter Thach (William); The Sustainable Integration for the New Hope” and “Why My People Continuing to Suffer in South Sudan.“
Dr. Thach’s work focuses on providing leadership and supervision to his organizational team and their subordinates. He is an expert in community and organizational development, program and budget planning and management, strategic planning, collaboration and partnership building, resource development, advocacy, and executive coaching.
Dr. Thach earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee in 2003. He went on to pursue a master’s degree in public service from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, and graduated as a member of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in social science. In 2014, Dr. Thach earned a PhD in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis on Strategic Planning from Argosy University in Nashville, TN.
He is married to his beloved wife, Nyakuma Ter Thach, and they are blessed with four beautiful children: Duang, Ter Jr., Selena, and Pel Thach.
Development and Communications
Immigration
Social Services
For the last 3 years, he has joined Stanley Steamer International as a professional driver. Mohammad has received multiple certifications and recommendations from US army and coalition forces based on his ethic and interpretation skills.
Gallatin
Ziagul has worked as a journalist with experience in leadership and team management, reporting, editing, website oversight, and photography at the Afghan Women News Agency and Afghanistan Institute for Research and Media. In Afghanistan she worked promoting democracy, supporting and encouraging women to work and be active in society by publishing reports on the achievements of women in every field, especially the training and employment of female journalists.
In the United States, Ziagul worked with ECDC (Ethiopian Community Development Council) in Vermont first as a Cultural Integration Facilitator, helping newcomers navigate their new community and providing information about cultural differences in American lifestyles. She continued her work with ECDC as a Refugee Support Services Case Manager before working at NICE.
Adult Education
with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders in 2006. She then received her TEFL
certification and taught ESL in Japan, Mexico and Uganda. Once returning stateside, she
completed her Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in ESL education from MTSU in
2011. She served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Atlanta, GA for Refugee Family Services and
found a strong desire to work with the refugee population. She first started with NICE by
teaching a math and computer class and then switched to ESL classes only. She is now the
lead teacher at The Donelson Fellowship site. She enjoys making an impact in the lives of her
students and supports the mission of NICE and the Adult Education Program.
He has taught English and Spanish to youth and adults in different classroom settings, virtually and in-person. Mauricio has had the privilege to immerse students in the language, making their learning process as real as possible so that they can become familiar with the sounds, accents and culture or both Spanish and English. He love teaching languages—the classroom is his safe space, his temple, his shelter.
Mauricio also has a passion for classic cruiser motorcycles. He loves reading historical fiction and history, especially everything related to the Roman Empire. He enjoys playing and watching basketball and hiking or trekking with his beautiful wife and his very smart and lovely daughter.
Youth Education
By encouraging empathy, creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking, his goal is to help students improve their lives and empower them to create positive change in the world!
Health
Kameo’s passions include making music, enjoying fresh air & sunshine, reading fiction novels in the morning light, amateur photography, and exploring new places.
Chair: Muna Muday, PhD Can. MPH | Vanderbilt University
Vice Chair/Secretary: John Ujwok, MA, MPH, PhD Can. | University of Tennessee
Treasurer: LeLann Evans | LeLann for President, LLC
Past Chair: Rosemary Lokule | Self-Employed
Alex Sekwat, Ph.D. | Tennessee State University
Veronica Calvin | Lifepoint
Malick Gaye | Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
President/CEO: Dr. Gatluak Ter Thach | NICE
Advisory Members
Hala Alaw
Nuha Alaw
Andrea Ayers
Asrar Babikir
Bruce Buchanan
Chuol Both
Emilio Cueto
Joseph Dickson
Mahmoud Eltighani, PhD
Mohamed Shukri Hassan
Casey McKeon
Tom Negri
Jeff Pack
Anatina Sharma
Dr. Stan Thangaraj
William Thompson, MD