Staff

The staff at the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians is culturally diverse and reflective of the communities we serve.

If you are contacting the Welcoming Center, please note that we can serve you better if you email only one staff member. If you are not sure the best person to contact, please email info@welcomingcenter.org

Anne O'Callaghan (email Anne) is the executive director of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians. She has been a prominent advocate for immigrants for over three decades.

Trained as a physical therapist in Ireland, Ms. O'Callaghan came to the United States in 1970 and worked in the field for 20 years as a practitioner, college-level instructor, and service director. She brought her entrepreneurial skills to the founding and building of a software development company which serves the home health care industry. She is active in the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Philadelphia, and the Southwest Community Enrichment Center.

Ms. O'Callaghan received her training and certification at the University of Dublin (Trinity College) School of Medicine and the Oswestry and North Staffordshire School of Physiotherapy.

She is married and is the mother of three children.

 

 Said Bellam is a mentor for the Project Bridging Cultures program, at South Philadelphia High School. He assists students with their homework and other curious inquiries. Being new to the country himself, he feels that he can relate to the issues of immigrant students he mentors and tutors. Said developed his teaching skills in Morocco, his home country, where he taught English to high school students.  

Said also works closely with the Welcoming Center West and Vocational Literary programs, making good use of his French and Arabic language translation skills.

Amanda Bergson-Shilcock (email Amanda) is the director of outreach and program evaluation at the Welcoming Center. She coordinates data collection and analysis, enabling the Welcoming Center to use hard evidence to support its decision making. She also handles inquiries from members of the media, researchers, community partners, and others who need clear, factual information about immigration in our region and the Welcoming Center's work.

Ms. Bergson-Shilcock previously worked at the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning, where her duties included grants management for the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services in Philadelphia.

She was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied American Civilization with an emphasis on minority populations. She is a native Pennsylvanian whose roots go back to Wales, Germany, Lithuania, England, and France, among other countries.

Bahiya Cabral-Johnson (email Bahiya) is the program manager for the Welcoming Center. She is part of the team that implements the vocational literacy program.

Bahiya has more than 20 years of experience in program development, management and evaluation through her work with community-based organizations such as the Community Leadership Institute in Philadelphia, national programs such as Leadership Development in Interethnic Relations, and international organizations such as the American Friends Service Committee.

Bahiya is married and blessed with an extended family that, along with her commitment to social justice, is her passion.

Rosara Castillo-Beshore (email Rosara) is the Intake Coordinator for the Welcoming Center.  She schedules our employment clients and conducts the initial assessment of their education, experience, and skills. She also serves as an interpreter to Spanish-speaking clients.  Additionally, Rosara supports our legal clinics, conducts community outreach events, and serves as the point of contact for our online ESL class database.

Rosara's public relations skills were developed in her home country of Panama, where she received a B.S. in Public Relations and began her career in P.R. and communications before coming to the United States.

Yana Chernov (email Yana) is the Welcoming Center's director of employment placement. She helps evaluate immigrants who seek the center's services for employment, and finds jobs that best suit their skills.

Ms. Chernov was born in Ukraine and came to the United States in 1993. When speaking about working with immigrants and refugees, she says: "It feels great to be able to help new Americans just like someone once helped me and my family. Everyone who comes here wants the best for their future and the lives of their children. To know that you are helping them achieve that goal feels wonderful. You cannot get tired of doing work like this."

Ms. Chernov is married and has one daughter. She speaks Russian and Ukrainian.

Jennifer Chiu (email Jennifer) is the coordinator of the Project Bridging Cultures program.  She and a team of mentors provide academic and social support services to immigrant students at South Philadelphia High School..

Jennifer was born in Hong Kong and grew up in New York City.  She graduated from Yale University with a degree in History.  She started working with Project Bridging Cultures as a mentor in the fall of 2006.  Jennifer is a native speaker of Cantonese and has also studied Mandarin, Spanish, and German.

Rocky Citro (email Rocky) is an employment specialist at the Welcoming Center.  He graduated with an MSW from Rutgers in 2005, and at the encouragement of a friend, went abroad to begin learning Spanish.  He was very warmly received in all of the places he went and was often humbled by the generosity of others.  After a couple years of living, learning, and loving life in Latin America, Rocky had the great fortune of meeting his wife in Ecuador. 

He looks forward to extending the same kindness that was often bestowed on him throughout his travels, and in the process, to make a small contribution to a more humane and just society.

Talease Cleveland (email Talease) is the compliance manager for the Welcoming Center. She is part of the vocational literacy team and monitors program progress and participant data.

 

Talease was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.  She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in History.  Her past work experience includes working in the non-profit and television industries. She has provided assistance for programs concerning youth literacy, mentoring and workforce development. She enjoys traveling, writing poetry and painting abstract art.

Grace Croke (email Grace) has been with the Welcoming Center since its inception. She is on the center's Board of Directors, and serves as its secretary. She is currently a part-time intake support staff and case manager. Ms. Croke was born and raised in Philadelphia. She was a nurse for 46 years and has 5 children.

Michelle Cross (email Michelle) has been an Employment Specialist with the Welcoming Center since 2006. She greatly enjoys working with the diverse immigrant communities of the Philadelphia region, and is happy to see so many talented people coming to the United States. Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Temple University, with a focus on Third World Studies.

 

Originally from Maine, Michelle worked for the non-profit organization H.O.M.E. Inc. in Orland as Assistant Director of the Learning Center and Regional Representative for Emmaus International. Also involved in H.O.M.E.’s organic farm, Michelle has transplanted her gardening skills to her back yard in Delaware County.

Janice Darab (email Janice) is the office administrator for the Welcoming Center. She oversees the general operations of the office and is also an assistant to the Executive Director. She was born and raised in Philadelphia. A graduate of Ursinus College, Mrs. Darab was a computer programmer and systems analyst before retiring from the workforce to raise her twin sons. Mrs. Darab is an active member of the Spina Bifida Association of the Delaware Valley where she served on the Board of Directors for over 20 years, including eight years as President. She volunteers actively in the non-profit sector, including fundraising.

Katie Henneman (email Katie) is the interim development manager for the Welcoming Center, managing fundraising and assisting with public relations and communications. Previously, Katie did program coordination, grant writing and other responsibilities for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, an international relief and development organization. She has also worked for a small research company and has interned with the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State.

Katie received a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University. She loves to taste new foods, visit World Heritage Sites, and meet new people, and has had the pleasure of living abroad in Indonesia, South Africa and Ecuador.  She has also traveled to some 30 countries, with her most recent adventures in Tanzania, Qatar, D.R. Congo and Cambodia. Katie recently moved to New Jersey, and looks forward to exploring the culturally diverse Greater Philadelphia area.  

Frances Heron (email Frances) is the Vocational Literacy Lead Instructor for the Welcoming Center. She received her master's degree in TESOL from Temple University in 2006, where she also taught in the Intensive English Language Program and tutored elderly immigrants through Temple’s SHINE Program (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders).

Originally from Washington, DC, Frances moved to the Philadelphia area in 1999. While in DC, she lived and raised her family in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city and she continues to feel inspired and grateful for the cultural diversity of Philadelphia and her work at the Welcoming Center. Frances also teaches ESL at the Community College of Philadelphia. She hopes to find time, after her beloved and final child leaves for college, to continue studying Spanish, dance more Argentine tango, and work on her photography.

Sara Hutcheson (email Sara) is the advocate and case manager for the Welcoming Center’s Vocational Literacy program.  She collaborates with other staff members to ensure that jobseekers have the support they need to focus on finding work. 

Sara is a native Philadelphian. She studied French at Barnard College in New York City and received her master's degree in TESOL from Temple University in 2002. Thanks to study abroad programs, Sara has also spent some time in Paris and Tokyo. She began volunteering as an ESL teacher when she returned to Philadelphia, and has been working in the field of adult education ever since. She currently runs training and professional development workshops for ESL, ABE and GED teachers and tutors through the Mayor's Commission on Literacy.

Feri Mofid (email Feri) provides part-time intake support for the Welcoming Center. She maintains our office database and provides translation work for Farsi and Dari.

Feri was born and educated in Iran, and graduated from Iran National University with a BA in Philosophy. Previously, she worked in Iran for 30 years at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, and also served as the Executive Manager for the students of Educational Affairs.

Feri arrived in the United States in 2007 and now lives with her two wonderful sons and husband in Philadelphia.

 Oumar N’Diaye has been working as a mentor with the Project Bridging Cultures program since October 2006. He enjoys assisting students in various subjects, such as math, biology, chemistry, physics and English.  Born in Mali, West Africa, Oumar spent part of his childhood in Senegal. He taught in Mali for four years before moving to the United States in 2004. His passion for teaching has led him to enroll in the College of Education at Temple University. In May 2010, Oumar aspires to be a certified chemistry teacher.

Oumar is married and has two children, a daughter and a son. He is a soccer fan.

Isabelle Rambo(email Isabelle) is the manager of development for the Welcoming Center.  She manages the fundraising activities and assists with public relations and communications. 

Isabelle previously worked at a Philadelphia based Welfare-to-Work program.  She started as a career advisor helping clients find employment and then worked in the finance and operations department.

Isabelle was educated at Duke University (BA) and Syracuse University (MA), where she studied International Relations. While in school, she spent a summer interning at the International Organization for Migration in Geneva, Switzerland.

Isabelle grew up in the Philadelphia area and loves to travel. She has spent time in South Korea, Mexico, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Australia and Thailand.

 Antoinette Gardner Thomas is a mentor with Project Bridging Cultures and coordinates a weekly English Conversation club.  She joyfully supports students at South Philadelphia High School while they look for jobs, hone their writing and speaking skills, apply to colleges, study math and science, learn about new cultures, engage in community service, and develop as young adults and leaders. 

Antoinette graduated from Ursinus College with a B.A. in Spanish and K-12 instructional certification.  She first began working with underserved students and English Language Learners during her year of national service with City Year Greater Philadelphia. 

Antoinette is newly married and is looking forward to visiting India with her husband, who was born there.

Desirée Welborn Wayne (email Desirée) has a degree in History & Diplomacy from Georgetown University and received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. She holds a certificate in non-profit management from the LaSalle University School of Business.

Desirée comes to the Welcoming Center after having provided immigration legal services to the refugee and asylee clients of Lutheran Family Services of Colorado. She has been committed to informing Americans of the desperate poverty in Haiti, most recently as Executive Director of the Lamp For Haiti, Inc. and as the chief prosecutor for the International Tribunal on Haiti. Desirée coordinates the Welcoming Center's legal activities, including the monthly legal clinic.

Miriam Williams (email Miriam) conducts the intake process for new clients and places work-authorized immigrants in medical industry-related jobs, providing counseling, support, and case management to assist them throughout the process.  She also identifies and establishes relationships with potential employers for these clients.

She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in International Studies with a concentration in Global Economics.  Miriam has lived in Korea, and traveled to Japan and South Africa, to volunteer and work.  She has also taught ESL to the immigrant population in Philadelphia and foreigners via VOIP since 2005.  She also has a history of volunteering and working with inner-city youth in Durham and Philadelphia, offering mentoring, coaching, and tutoring.

She is an active member of Alpha Epsilon Omega where she has served on the Board of Directors for the past seven years.  Miriam enjoys playing tennis and basketball and loves to run.