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WASHINGTON (August 29, 2002) –- Anastasia Brown has been named Director, Office of Refugee Programs, Migration and Refugee Services (MRS). For the past three years Ms. Brown has been Associate Director for Processing Operations in the Office of Refugee Programs. MRS is part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
"Her experience, expertise and personal gifts are real blessings to the Conference and to the Church in the United States and I warmly welcome her to these new responsibilities," said Msgr. William P. Fay, General Secretary of the USCCB, in announcing the appointment to the Conference staff.
As Director of MRS' Office of Refugee Programs, Anastasia Brown will have responsibility for a staff of almost 70 people in Washington and Miami. MRS' Refugee Programs Office holds multiple contracts with various federal agencies to support Catholic efforts to provide resettlement and related services to refugees and other vulnerable forced migrants. These activities are carried out in partnership with more than one hundred diocesan resettlement programs, most of which are administered by Catholic Charities agencies.
Ms. Brown has more than ten years experience working with refugees, both overseas and domestically, the past three with MRS. Earlier, she was Deputy Joint Voluntary Agency Representative for the Orderly Departure Program with the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), with which MRS is affiliated. During her tenure with ICMC, more than 350,000 people departed Vietnam under this program and were resettled in the United States.
Anastasia Brown is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. She is married and has two children, ages six and eight.
Also commenting on the appointment was Mark Franken, MRS Executive Director. "I am extremely pleased that Anastasia has agreed to accept this important position within the Bishops" Conference," he said. "Her experience, expertise, compassion, and demonstrated leadership skills will contribute immensely to further strengthening MRS" mission to serve the refugees and other vulnerable migrants. Anastasia has earned the respect of her colleagues and brings to the position a vision for how the Church should welcome newcomers, which will serve the bishops well," Mr. Franken said.