USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Director of Migration and Refugee Policy Named

Director of Migration and Refugee Policy Named

WASHINGTON (July 9, 1998) -- Kevin Appleby, Deputy Director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, has been named Director of Migration and Refugee Policy, an office of the U.S. Catholic Conference's Migration and Refugee Services (MRS).

Mark Franken, Executive Director of MRS, announced the appointment.

As deputy director of the Maryland Catholic Conference since 1990, Appleby has helped develop the social concerns agenda of the state's Catholic Bishops which in turn he has lobbied before the Maryland General Assembly. In addition, he has advanced the Bishops' agenda on housing, hunger, welfare reform, health care, and children's issues through direct media contact, speaking engagements, and written publications.

Prior to his current position, Appleby worked for U.S. Senator Russell Long (D-LA), the U.S. Senate Committee on Iran-Contra, and for the U.S. Senate Arms Control Office. He also worked for the Washington law firm Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin and Kahn as a legislative assistant.

Appleby earned a bachelor's degree in Government/Business from the University of Notre Dame in 1984 and a master's degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University in 1987. He studied law at the University of Maryland Law School, earning his juris doctor in 1996.

As director of MRS's Office of Migration and Refugee Policy, Appleby will be responsible for the development and implementation of advocacy strategies to fulfill the Bishops' public policy objectives in the area of immigration.

"Kevin has many years of experience advocating the Church's public policy agenda with state and federal policy makers," said Franken in announcing Appleby's appointment. "He will be a valuable addition to the MRS team working to advance the Bishops' concern for the 'stranger among us.'"

Appleby begins his new duties August 10.

The Office of Migration and Refugee Policy is one of three units within MRS. The Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees coordinates the Church's pastoral outreach to new arrivals to the United States and others on the move; the Office of Refugee Programs provides resettlement services to newly arriving refugees to help them gain self-sufficiency in the United States.