Erica Carley Harris is the Acting Director of Maine's Office of New Americans (ONA), where she leads statewide efforts to strengthen Maine's workforce by supporting the long-term civic and economic integration of immigrants. In this role, she collaborates across government, education, and industry to address workforce needs and expand opportunities for new Mainers and support employers.

Erica previously co-led the development the strategic plan to establish Maine's ONA, managing an extensive public engagement process that included input from more than 800 Mainers across all 16 counties. She continued to shape the office through the passage of enabling legislation, long-term planning, and foundational research to guide the office's future focus.

Erica joined the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) in 2021 as a Workforce Policy Analyst. In that role, she helped launch more than 35 workforce programs funded by Governor Mills' Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, coordinating with state agencies and partner organizations to ensure timely and effective program rollout. She also designed and hosted a paid policy internship for high school students through the Governor's flagship Maine Career Exploration Program, an initiative to expand opportunity and raise aspirations among Maine youth.

Erica previously led advocacy and government affairs for CIEE, an international education nonprofit, where she managed policy strategy and coordinated the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Erica holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Barnard College and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder, with concentrations in French, Spanish, and Arabic.