Advocacy Sessions

Presenters

Angie Plummer, Executive Director, CRIS

Angie Plummer is the Executive Director of Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS), a non-profit organization serving refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio. She has been with CRIS since 1998, and started as a volunteer lawyer. She became Executive Director of the agency in 2003. She is a 1989 graduate of the University of Dayton, where she majored in International Studies and minored in German, and is a 1992 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Law. She lists as her professional accomplishments the participation in resettlement to Columbus, Ohio of more than 10,000 refugees and the successful resolution of many family reunification and asylum cases. She lives with her husband and two children in Columbus, Ohio.

Susan Krehbiel, Associate for Refugees & Asylum, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Ms. Susan Krehbiel is the Associate for Refugees and Asylum for PCUSA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance), working with regional bodies, congregations and national partners in refugee-related ministries. Susan has 30 years’ experience starting with a local asylum project in Detroit. At Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (2003-2011), Susan oversaw both asylum & resettlement programs, including alternatives to detention and refugee foster care. She worked as a consultant with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in DC and South America.

Susan is a ruling elder at Catonsville Presbyterian Church and works part time for the Presbytery of Baltimore. She has an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Spanish from the College of Wooster.

Dina Albayati, Activist. Advocacy Associate, CWS

Dina Al Bayati serves as the Advocacy Associate for Church World Service in the Policy and Advocacy team. In this position, Dina advocates to strengthen immigration and refugee rights by developing advocacy materials, working with partners and within coalitions, and engaging the grassroots network to make their voices heard on immigration and refugee issues.

As a refugee from Iraq, she began serving in Refugee Resettlement at nineteen, supporting refugee youth, refugee education, economic empowerment, and outreach. Dina serves in the board of Association of Wartime Allies, Iraqi-American Community, and advocate for Veterans for American Ideals.

As an international activist on peace & security, foreign policy, and youth empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa working with key stakeholders for the MENA region both within and beyond the educational sector and mobilizing political, social, and human rights awareness by engaging youth, activists, media, nonprofits, and more institutions.