CNNC has practiced a strong team management approach to leadership since its inception. All staff are encouraged to provide input into management decisions and to exercise and cultivate leadership in their program areas.
Raleigh Bailey, founding director of CNNC, has stepped down from his position. Raleigh will continue with the center on a part-time basis as Director Emeritus, continuing work with selected projects and doing field research.
Maha Elobeid now serves as the interim Director of Programs, overseeing our outreach education. She first came to us over 10 years ago as a lay health advisor for African and Arabic- speaking communities before returning to her native Sudan, where she worked in strategic planning with multinational organizations. Two years ago Maha returned to CNNC to provide oversight to our community centers and started a PhD program in Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at UNCG.
Holly Sienkiewicz will oversee and further develop our community-based research component as Interim Director of Research as she completes her PhD. Holly has worked with us over the last few years as a graduate student in public health education, studying immigrant and refugee integration at our community centers. She has also served with another UNCG center conducting research and evaluation in health education.
Janet Johnson will continue with CNNC as Business Officer. She has held this position for 10 years and brings over 30 years of professional refugee and immigrant experience to the Center, including fiscal and administrative management, as well as past experience as a federally accredited immigration counselor.
Other CNNC staff will continue in leadership roles in their program areas and developing leadership skills within immigrant communities. Part of the CNNC’s mission is to provide immigrant and refugee leadership development. This innovative approach to leadership within CNNC will be refined and adjusted as needed over the next program year.