Basali & Bapesi-toli

Headshot of Erica Carley HarrisErica Carley Harris, Acting Director

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.

Headshot of Ekhlas AhmedEkhlas Ahmed, Policy Analyst

Ekhlas Ahmed, Moto ya Mayele na Makambo ya Politiki

Lokola Mokanisi ya Politiki ya ONA, Ekhlas Ahmed azali kosala elongo na Mokambi ya ONA mpe bato mosusu ya kati mpe ya libanda mpo na kobongisa makambo ya nkita mpe ya mboka ya bapaya oyo bakoti na mosala ya Leta. Asungaka baprograme mpe misala ya biro yango, ata mpe kosala bolukiluki, kotalela mibeko, mpe kobongisa makambo.

Ahmed akotaki na Biro ya ba Américains ya Sika (Office of New Americans, ONA) na mibu zomi ya mosala lokola mokambi ya bibongiseli oyo ezangaka litomba, molakisi, mpe molobeli mpo na bato bakima mboka. Na mikolo mileki, atiaki lisanga moko ya litomba te mpo na kotombola mingongo ya bato bakima mboka mpe baoyo bazali koluka ebombamelo na etuka na biso, kopesaka mosolo mpo na bayekoli ya eteyelo ya likolo mpo na kolanda kelasi ya likolo na Maine. Ahmed asalaki mpe lokola molakisi ya lokota ya Anglais na biteyelo ya Leta mpe lokola Co-Directeur ya Alliance culturelle ya Maine, esika azalaki kosenga ete misala ya ntoki eyebana mpe kozwa mosolo mpo na kokolisa bonkoko ya Maine.

Lokola ye moko mpe azali mopaya, Ahmed akimaki bitumba ya bana mboka na Sudan na 2005 elongo na libota na ye, kati na bango baboti na ye mpe baleki na ye misato ya mibali. Akendeki kofanda na Portland, azwaki diplome ya Bachelor na Relations Internationales mpe diplome ya Master na Education na Université ya Maine du Sud.

Conseil consultatif

Mokano ya Conseil consultatif ezali ya kopesa toli na Biro ya Maine ya ba Américains ya sika na makambo oyo etali intégration économique mpe civique ya ba immigrés ya ntango molai na Etuka. Lisangani yango ezali na bato 24 oyo baponami na Guvernere, na molobi ya ndako ya basangani, mpe na mokambi ya Sénat, lisangani yango ezali na bato ya ndenge na ndenge, na ndakisa bakambi ya bato oyo bakimá mboka, bato oyo bapesaka lisalisi ya mibeko, bato oyo bapesaka bato oyo bakimá mboka bisika na bango, mpe bakonzi ya Leta mpe ya mboka. Yekola mingi na ntina ya Conseil consultatif awa.

Basangani ya Conseil

Governor’s Appointments

  • Julia Trujillo Luengo, Co-chair, Maine Community College System
  • Claude Rwaganje, Prosperity Maine
  • Marwa Hassanien, Northern Light Health and Bangor School Board
  • Nawar Alobaidi, Engineers Auto Service
  • Rotha Chan, TD Bank
  • Juana Rodriguez-Vazquez, Mano en Mano/Hand in Hand
  • Olesya Shkut, Bluetriton/Poland Spring
  • Kerem Durdag, GWI
  • Orlina Boteva, University of Maine
  • Jonathan Baty, MaineHealth
  • Dana Totman, Genesis Fund
  • Ben Conniff, Luke’s Lobster

Senate President’s Appointments

  • Georges Budagu Makoko, Co-chair, Amjambo Africa and Serenity Residential Care
  • Mufalo Chitam, Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition
  • Heremenegildo Paulo, South Portland School Department
  • Barbara Stoddard, New Mainer Resource Center/Portland Adult Education
  • Rick Bennett, Senate District 18
  • Margaret Rotundo, Senate District 21

House Speaker’s Appointments

  • Fatuma Hussein, Immigrant Resource Center of Maine
  • Liam LaFountain, City of Biddeford
  • Lisa Parisio, ILAP Maine
  • Inza Ouattara, Catholic Charities
  • Flavia DeBrito, House District 64
  • Amy Arata, House District 104

Likita ya Bakambi ya Bakompanyi

Likita ya Bakambi ya Bakompanyi ezali lisanga ya bakambi ya misala mpe ya bakambi ya misala oyo bazali kokabola mayele na bango na ONA mpe bango na bango. Kobanda na koyamba bato ya mayele ya mikili misusu, na kofutela mpe kobenga Bato ya sika na Maine, na kobandisa mpe kokamba misala ya bato ya mikili misusu, makanisi na bango na makambo ya nkita mpe ya bato ya misala ezali kopesa nzela na mosala ya ONA mpe ezali kopesa nzela na biyano ya boyokani.

Ntango

Awa na nse ezali na makambo ya ntina na bokeli ya ONA ya Maine:

Augusto 2023: Guvernere Janet Mills atiaki sinyatili na mokanda ya bokonzi oyo etindi Biro ya Gouverneur mpo na Politiki ya Kobongisa mpe Bokoli (GOPIF) mpo na kosala mwango mpo na kofungola Biro ya ba Américains ya sika na Maine.

Aout 2023 - Januali 2024: GOPIF esalaki mwango na makanisi ya bato koleka 800, bakisa mpe bibongiseli ya leta, ba municipalités, biteyelo, biteyelo ya likolo, bapatro, mangomba oyo esalemi na baimboka, mpe bato ya masanga ya baye bawutaka na mboka mopaya, bato bakimá mboka, mpe baye balukaka kobombana na mboka mopaya.

Januali 2024: GOPIF epesaki plan ya ONA na Gouverneur Mills.