Gatluak Ter Thach, PhD is the founder and current president and CEO of Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE). NICE ensures refugees and immigrants achieve their full potential now and for generations to come. In 2010, NICE became an affiliate of ECDC, in partnership with the State Department in Washington, DC’s Refugee Resettlement Program to resettle refugees here in the United States.  Dr. Thach is a refugee and immigrant rights activist who serves on board of directors for several organizations, include Sudanese Human Rights Organization, Advisory Council of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Mayor’s New American Council, Tennessee for All of Us, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, Sudanese Presbyterian Church, Alliance for South Sudanese in Diaspora, Relief Organization for South Sudan – USA, Volar Collegiate Academy, and others.

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.

Parvez is a nonprofit industry professional with a combination of management skills in development,  public policy, and research. During his tenure in higher education, he led various global projects in alignment with St. John's University's Global Initiatives Program focusing on education and empowerment of underserved populations. He has a decade of progressive project management experience in community development in international locations including Brazil, Turkey, and Vietnam among others.

Parvez served as Director of St. John’s University’s Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery in New York City from 2003 to 2016 and as Adjunct Professor from 2007 to 2015. He received an MA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Cultural Studies and an MA in Global Development and Social Justice from St. John’s University. Capstone/Thesis in Global Development titled “Child Labor and Slavery in Bangladesh: Building Human Rights Through Information Sharing”.

He is currently a candidate of the Executive Master of Public Administration at the renown Maxwell School of Government and Citizenship at Syracuse University, New York. 

Idah Mathu was born and raised in Nairobi Kenya. She later moved to South Africa to pursue a Degree in Computer Science and upon completion moved to the United States. Idah joined NICE in September of 2009 as a Financial and Administrative Coordinator.  She is also now the Director of Operations and Employee Services. Idah speaks Swahili, English and Kikuyu.

Cindy was born and raised in Iowa with her 10 brothers and sisters. She graduated from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology. She spent over 30 years in corporate America starting in Quality Assurance and moving through several other areas including Finance and Sales. In Febuary of 2011, she started at NICE as a volunteer. In June, she was hired to be the Resettlement Program Coordinator overseeing all parts of NICE’s Resettlement Program, specifically R&P. Cindy currently serves as the Chief Finance, Operations and Resettlement Services Officer.

Emma grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and received a bachelor’s degree in Politics with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Sewanee, The University of the South. She worked as the Cultural Orientation Intern for Bridge Refugee Services in 2017, where she helped to integrate new refugees into the Knoxville community. Emma spent a semester studying politics and international relations in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she also volunteered as an English instructor to Shan migrants from Myanmar. Emma has spent time living and working in Kampala, Uganda, serving as the Public Policy Intern for the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) and conducting her undergraduate research on reproductive health policy in Uganda. As Associate Director of Development, Emma works within NICE’s Development team with a focus on grant writing, fundraising and event planning.

In 2011, Koang graduated from Nashville State Community College with an associate degree in Business Information Systems. In 2013, he graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Relations. While working at NICE, he pursued his educational goal and obtained his Master of Science Degree in Management at Trevecca Nazarene University in 2015. He joined the NICE staff in October of 2011 as the RSS coordinator helping find sustainable employment for refugees. Koang currently serves as the Transportation Manager. Koang speaks Arabic, English and Nuer.

Brandon was raised in Cary, North Carolina. He graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies in 2009. He then received an MTS from Emory University in 2011. His graduate research focused on globalization, immigration, and cultural studies. Brandon has published with Yale University Press (2011), Templeton Press (2012), and The Borgen Project (2017). From 2013 to 2017, he served as a Montessori teacher with Durham Public Schools in North Carolina. He also has experience in the non-profit sector teaching children and adults. Most recently, he served as a site coordinator for the EdVenture Children’s Museum where he supervised a STEM based afterschool and summer program. Brandon currently serves as the Director of NICE's Education program.

Nadia is originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She received her M.Phil in medical anthropology from the University of Oxford in 2010, M.A. in anthropology with a concentration in international development from George Washington University (GWU) in 2008, and a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Delaware in 2005. Her research interests include reproductive health and urban development in Dhaka, Bangladesh. After completing her graduate studies, she worked as a research associate for the Global Gender Program and Culture in Global Affairs at GWU. She also facilitated student discussions for the Department of Anthropology at GWU. She moved to Nashville to pursue a career in program and grants management for the Center for Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. Nadia currently serves as NICE's Associate Director of Self-sufficiency Services.

Aisha is originally from Nigeria. She came to the US for college and graduated from Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, KY in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. She started as a volunteer with NICE in July 2009 and has enjoyed meeting and getting to know people from many different walks of life. She currently works as the Immigration Manager, overseeing immigration applications and following-up as needed. Aisha speaks Hausa, English and Spanish.

Ally is a Pennsylvania native who moved to Nashville in 2018. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a dual major in anthropology and art history. She earned her teaching certificate in 2011 and then served as the Education Coordinator at the Erie Art Museum where she managed studio art classes and organized school tours. She also served as a program assistant in the folk art department for Old Songs New Opportunities: a cultural preservation program that trained former refugees to work in local childcare centers. She has worked in many education departments including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and the Nashville Zoo. She can speak French and can sing children’s songs in Arabic, Swahili, Nepali, Spanish and Bosnian! 

Halima Ingabire was born in Uganda but grew up in Rwanda. She came to the United States as an international student on a full scholarship from St.Olaf College in Minnesota. Halima graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Race and Ethnic Studies. During her time in college, she interned with some major international organizations including Partners in Health, City of Joy Rwanda and others. In 2017, Halima received a $10,000 grant from the Davis Projects for Peace Award, which she used to promote peace and reconciliation through art among the youth in Rwanda. Halima moved to Nashville, TN in 2018 and currently serves as the Youth Education Associate Manager at NICE.

Sophiya was born and raised in Nepal. She has earned her Bachelor of Science in Social work (Magna cum Laude) from Tennessee State University. Before she came to US, Sophiya worked as a Program Assistant with the local non-profit organization, helped international volunteers learn the Nepali language and helped design and implement the projects in Nepal. In 2014, she came to the United States and in 2017 joined NICE staff team as an immigration specialist to help refugees and immigrants with their applications. Sophiya currently serves as the Adult Education Data Specialist. Through the Adult education program, she supports refugees and immigrants’ clients in their journey to learn English, improve the quality of their lives and seek long term employment. She believes; the service of divine purpose is a great blessing and brings great harmony to her life.

Hanna was born in Kansas, USA, but was raised in Nigeria. She received her Bachelor of Science from Bingham University and also holds a Masters in Business Administration and Management from Nasarawa State University, Nigeria. Before moving back to the States, Hanna worked as a professor at Bingham University. She joined NICE in March 2018 as an Immigration Specialist and was also in charge of the NICE Family Mentorship Program. Currently, she serves as the Youth Mentorship Coordinator where she ensures youth get high quality and comprehensive academic support that is culturally and linguistically sensitive. By helping refugee and immigrant youth connect to school and the community at large through blended academic enrichment activities, she hopes to foster good decision-making process which will result in healthy, productive, and prosperous lives. 

Bhuwan was born in Bhutan but had to flee his country when he was three months old. He moved to Nepal where he lived as a refugee for 17 years. He completed high school while he was there in 2008. He came to the United States in May of 2009. Bhuwan was hired as one of the case workers at NICE in June of 2011, where he has assisted many Resettlement and Employment clients. He now works as a Refugee Support Services Specialist. Bhuwan is currently studying Pre-Nursing at Nashville State Technical College. He speaks Nepali, Hindi, Dzonkha and English.

Eden was born and raised in Nashville, TN. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin where she studied International Relations and Global Studies and Social Inequality, Health, and Policy. While at the University of Texas she was part of multiple research projects, including Project SEED which focused on mental health in child immigrants and another where she worked in conjunction with the US Department of State to research international health policy and accreditation in Latin America. She spent a summer in Taichung, Taiwan helping teach college students English at National Taiwan University of Sport. She was also a Community Empowerment Intern for NICE in 2018, where she helped implement an art therapy program for refugee and immigrant students in Nashville. In her current role, Eden provides staffing support and organizational strategic plan implementation with a focus on HR analysis.

Fozia is originally from Hargeisa, Somalia. She moved to Pakistan, at the age of 13 where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies. While pursuing her education, she worked as a full time Somali interpreter and translator with a local non-governmental organization and then with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. She and her husband moved to USA in 2015. Before joining NICE Fozia worked with Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition as a Multicultural Organizer were she helped serve the community by engaging them in civic participation, identifying and recruiting coalition members, and maintaining open communication between all immigrant & refugee groups. As NICE’s Adult Education Student Coordinator, Fozia connects Nashville’s adult English learners to NICE’s Adult Education course offerings while simultaneously connecting NICE students to larger services offered in the Nashville community.

Joey was raised in East Tennessee and went to college in Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. He served in the army as paratrooper from 1984-1987.  He has been teaching English as a Second Language and citizenship in Nashville since September 2001. In 2017, Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) honored Joey with a Lifetime Achievement award recognizing his service with veterans and refugees. He joined the NICE team in March of 2019.  

Michelle was raised in the Nashville area. She graduated from Western Kentucky University
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.

Mulki was born in Somali, but spent 18 years livings in a refugee camp in Kenya. When she was in high school, Mulki received a scholarship to study Public Relations at Jomokenyatta University. Mulki came to the United States in 2014 and was resettled by NICE. She joined the NICE staff team in 2016 as the Administrative Assistant, and currently serves as a Refugee Self-Sufficiency Case Manager.

Kabita was born in Bhutan but had to flee the country with her family when she was just a baby. Her family moved to Nepal where she lived as a refugee for 20 years. She was trained in the healthcare system and received her CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) in Nepal where she worked as a Community Nutrition Specialist. She provided daily and emergency medical assistance, nutrition and health education. Kabita responded to the medical and nutritional needs of the community. Her family arrived in Tennessee in 2012 and were resettled by NICE. Kabita was employed at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital and joined the NICE staff in October 2015. She serves as a Health Case Manager and is also responsible for the intensive case management in our Elders program. She speaks English and Nepali.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Patrick received his BA from the University of Hawaii in 2005 with a degree in Religious Studies. He recently earned a Master’s Degree from Lipscomb University in Leadership and Public Service. His graduate research focused on policy programs aimed at increasing rates of naturalization for local communities. Patrick has worked with the immigrant and refugee community for a number of years as both a volunteer with the Adult Literacy Council and previously as an ESL teacher for the Tennessee Language Center. As the Gallatin Reception and Placement Manager, Patrick’s goal is to help empower new arriving refugees with the necessary tools for long-term success here in Nashville. 

Samantha was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She began working in federally subsidized family housing in 1988 and eventually became the manager of a 250 unit complex. She went on to continue her career in housing management and worked as assistant manager and activities director for a senior living facility. Samatha thrives when she is working to help people, and it is her heart’s desire to continue this work in her position at NICE. 

Kelvine is originally from Rwanda. She was born in Burundi, moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and grew up in Rwanda.

She holds a bachelor's degree in law and a Masters in Genocide Studies from the National University of Rwanda. In 2011, as her country was transitioning from French to English, she came to the U.S. as a Romeo Dallaire scholarship recipient, to learn English at Lewis and Clark College in Portland/Oregon.  In 2013, she received a Global Health Corps fellowship, and was based at the Rwandan Ministry of Health. 

Kelvine moved to Nashville in 2015 and volunteered with Siloam Health as a Medical Interpreter.
She worked with World Relief as an interpreter as well. Kelvine is also a certified medical interpreter from the Tennesee Language Center. She speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi.  In her new role as an Immigration Specialist at NICE, Kelvine enjoys assisting refugees and immigrants in filling their application.

Jody was born and raised in suburban Chicago. She received a B.A in economics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and a M.A in linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois. She has taught and tutored ESL students at all levels in a variety of content areas. Since coming to Nashville, she has mainly been involved in helping students obtain their citizenship. Before coming to NICE, she was the citizenship manager at Nashville Adult Literacy Council responsible for administering a USCIS citizenship and integration grant. She is excited to work as the Occupational and Training Specialist in the Adult Education department at NICE and help students achieve their full potential.

Caroline Davis was born and raised in Griffin, Georgia. She made the move to Nashville, Tennessee in 2015 to attend Lipscomb University, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Studies, focusing on Organizational Leadership and Communication. She has spent over a year collectively living abroad in various parts of the world and considers culture, education, and migration her passions in life. Caroline is currently responsible for overseeing the implementation and successful execution of distance learning across the Adult Education program.

Jonathan Turner was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2019 he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace and a focus on unmanned aircraft, information systems, and crew resource management. Since graduating Jonathan has served as a volunteer for NICE's Education Department as both teacher and teacher's assistant. He is currently responsible for supporting the Adult Education data team as Education Data Coordinator.

Shayna was raised in Rockville, Maryland. She completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and her master’s degree in Comparative Social Policy at the University of Oxford in the UK.  Throughout her education and beyond, Shayna has focused on minority religious groups and their relationship with government. Through the Pittsburgh Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, she took various roles across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to build a more equitably livable city, including serving as a community organizer for the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network. She then moved to Haifa, Israel where she worked as the Resource Development Coordinator for Kayan Palestinian Feminist Organization. Shayna currently serves as the Refugee Benefits Navigator.

Eric Bishonda prides himself in his work with people with disabilities and vulnerable groups. He has been working with refugees since 2016. He previously worked at World Relief Nashville, TN, and at Catholic Charities in Refugee Resettlement services. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Bugema University in Kampala, Uganda in 2012. In his current role as Resettlement and Placement Case Manager at NICE, Eric helps to welcome newly arrived refugees to Nashville, ensuring they are connected to necessary resources during their first 90 days in the United States.

Jamie grew up in Silicon Valley, California. Over the years, she has dedicated much of her life to volunteerism and philanthropy, serving individuals in need. Along with her experience in business and administration, she brings her experience as a Founder and Executive Director of two non-profit organizations to the NICE team. Jamie is currently serving as the Managing Director for New American Staffing, where her goal is to set up immigrant and refugee communities for success through gainful employment with inclusive employers.

Joyce graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in English and Secondary Teaching.  After raising her family and years of community volunteering, she received her ESL certification in 2019.  Joyce has taught beginning and intermediate English and currently teaches remotely to students in Bolivia.  At NICE, she teaches reading and writing skills for students desiring to obtain their High School Equivalency Degree.

Michael grew up in LaVergne, Tennessee. He first volunteered with NICE’s adult education team in 2013. While attending Brown University, he worked with refugee youth leaders and a post-resettlement agency (the Refugee Dream Center) to expand summer opportunities for K-12 students. Michael is also a proud alum of City Year AmeriCorps in Washington, DC. As the Lead Health Case Manager at NICE, Michael supports clients as they obtain resources and life skills to become self-sufficient and achieve holistic wellbeing.

Nisha was born and raised in Nepal. From 2014 to 2015, she served as a volunteer teacher at a refugee camp in Nepal. She moved to the United States in 2015. She graduated from the Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor's of Behavioral and Health Sciences degree in Social Work. Nisha joined NICE in 2019 as a Childcare Coordinator. She now serves as a Youth Education Site Coordinator. Nisha speaks Nepali, Hindi, English, and Urdu.

Sarah is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She received her Bachelor's from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied French language and systems of oppression. She then worked as a Program Manager at a supported living agency for adults with developmental disabilities, before returning to school at Vanderbilt University where she received a Master's in Education in the Community Development and Action program. Sarah currently serves as the Refugee Support Services Program Manager.

Monte grew up in Nashville and is a cultural and medical anthropologist by training.  She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Vanderbilt University and has a Master’s degree in Sociology from Middle Tennessee State University.  Over the last 15 years, she has collaborated with foreign research institutions, NGOs, government agencies, independent consultants, and communities on projects addressing issues of human rights, child labor, health, education, and the environment.  Her doctoral research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, examined the açaí (palm fruit) commodity boom and its socioeconomic consequences in two rural Amazon communities in eastern Brazil, focusing on children’s labor contributions, dangers involved in extraction, and the effects on children’s health, education, and wellbeing.   She also has been a visiting professor at colleges and universities in Tennessee, including Vanderbilt University and Sewanee: The University of the South.  Monte is fluent in Portuguese and speaks basic Spanish.

There is no one braver or more committed than my students, who come from all over the world to Nashville – so different and so disorienting for them – yet they surmount so many barriers to plug away at learning English despite all the difficulties!  I’m originally from Washington, D.C., and received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from UT.  After several careers at Metro Nashville government as a counselor for teens and their families, as a program director in child welfare services and finally as a grants manager for the Metro Finance Department, I retired. Following several years at Camelot Care services working on reaccreditation and quality assurance, I got TEFL certification from the Tennessee Language Institute.   For the last 6 years, I have found great satisfaction in teaching ESL (and Citizenship) to so many wonderful students, at the Nashville Adult Literacy Council, as a volunteer at St. Luke’s church, and at NICE.

Emmanuel Semahoro was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and grew up in Rwanda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Science from Cheikh Anta Diop University and a diploma from Kigali Institute of Education. He has been working as a librarian for seven years, volunteered in different international organizations including Compassion International Rwanda. In his new role as Refugee Support Services Specialist at NICE, Emmanuel enjoys assisting refugees and immigrants in finding employment and ensuring that they are self-sufficient as quickly as possible. Emmanuel speaks Swahili, English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Kinyamulenge.

Max was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and his family moved to the United States as refugees in 1993.  Max received a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Religious Studies from the University of Alabama, and began his professional career by organizing fundraising events for non-profit organizations in Alabama. Max's community involvement led him to City Hall in Birmingham, where he worked as the Community Engagement Officer for the Birmingham City Council - helping develop campaigns and events to increase interest in the participatory processes of local government. During his time at City Hall, Max continued producing community events to benefit local organizations, served on local non-profit boards, and managed a micro-grant foundation. Max moved to Nashville in 2020, and his non-profit fundraising work led him to serve in the role of Associate Director of Development at NICE.

Magut is an avid runner and Kenyan native. He graduated from Belmont University with a double major in Accounting and Information Systems Management. Over the last ten years, he has built a wealth of knowledge as an accountant, techie, and serial entrepreneur. Magut will assist with the development and execution of a Community Engagement & Sponsorship Program in conjunction with the NICE leadership team. Additionally, he will help cultivate relationships and partnerships across organizations in Middle Tennessee. He speaks Swahili, English and Kalenjin.
                                                                                                                 
If you ever want someone to talk your ear off about social enterprise, blockchain, crypto, farming, and anything trivia-related, you can always count on Magut.

Elizabeth was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Having grown up learning from friends and mentors with culturally diverse backgrounds, Elizabeth finds foundational importance in inclusivity, communication, empathy, and diversity as our greatest strengths. In 2019, Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology and Organizational Behavior at the University of California, San Diego. 

After moving to Nashville, TN, Elizabeth worked as Director of Human Resources in the sales & marketing industry, before getting an opportunity in 2021 to align her passions with her work. She started at NICE as a Youth Summer Camp Coordinator, where she became invested in furthering opportunities for the refugee community in Nashville. Elizabeth now works as NICE’s Volunteer & Training Coordinator, where she aims to connect role models and passionate individuals to spaces they can provide the most impact. She approaches each day with the mentality that we have multitudes to learn from each person we meet. 

Carmen Bellos is a US citizen who was born in Germany and has lived in several other countries throughout her lifetime. As the director of an allied medical program, she was given the Mentor/Educator of the year award in 2011. She also directed the launch of an ESL program in Hermitage, TN. She holds a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as an international TESOL certification. Carmen serves at the Adult Education Teaching Proctor for NICE.