Staff & Advisors

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

As the ONA’s Policy Analyst, Ekhlas Ahmed works with the ONA Director and internal and external stakeholders to improve the long-term economic and civic integration of immigrants into the State’s workforce and communities. She supports the programs and operations of the office, including research, policy analysis, and planning.

Ahmed joined the Office of New Americans (ONA) with a decade of experience as a nonprofit leader, educator, and advocate for refugees. Most recently, she founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting the voices of immigrant refugees and asylum seekers in our state, providing funding for high school students to pursue higher education in Maine. Ahmed has also worked as an English language educator in public schools and as the Co-Director of the Cultural Alliance of Maine, where she advocated for the visibility of the arts and secured funding to enrich Maine’s cultural landscape.

As a refugee herself, Ahmed fled the civil war in Sudan in 2005 with her family, including her parents and three younger brothers. Resettled in Portland, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine.

Advisory Council

The purpose of the Advisory Council is to advise the Maine Office of New Americans on matters affecting the long-term economic and civic integration of immigrants in the State. Consisting of 24 members appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President, the council includes individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including leaders from immigrant communities, a legal assistance provider, a refugee resettlement organization, and state and local government. Learn more about the Advisory Council here.

Council Members

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

Business Leadership Forum

The Business Leadership Forum is a group of employers and business owners who share their experiences and expertise with the ONA and each other. From welcoming international talent, to hiring and recruiting New Mainers, to starting and running immigrant-owned businesses, their perspectives on economic and workforce issues inform the work of the ONA and foster collaborative solutions.

Timeline

Below are key milestones in the development of the Maine ONA:

August 2023: Governor Janet Mills signed an Executive Order directing the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) to create a plan for establishing an Office of New Americans in Maine.

August 2023 - January 2024: GOPIF developed a plan with input from over 800 stakeholders, including state agencies, municipalities, schools, higher education institutions, employers, community-based organizations, and members of immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking communities.

January 2024: GOPIF delivered the ONA plan to Governor Mills.