Presenters: Northwest Conference on Resettlement

Keynote Address: Atim Longa

  • ​9:30-10:30 AM Wednesday, Feb. 4, in the JUMP Room (5th floor)
Atim Longa is the Kansas State Refugee Coordinator and Director of the Kansas Office for Refugees. With over 23 years of experience in human displacement, including 11 years in Kansas, she brings expertise in advocacy, refugee integration, and strategic leadership in transforming challenges into strength. Originally from Uganda, Atim earned a law degree and worked with the United Nations before moving to the U.S. 18 years ago. She also holds a master’s in international diplomacy from Norwich University. In her current role, Atim oversees the administration of refugee services, manages grants, and partners with local and national organizations to support successful integration of refugees.
Atim's leadership is informed by personal experience with displacement and cultural transition, driving her commitment to building communities that see the contribution of all.  She draws on inner strength, shaped through past hardships to face challenges and lead with courage.

Emcee: Aanish Shamim

As an immigrant from Pakistan, Aanish Shamim believes our differences create strength and togetherness in our community. Aanish has extensive history, both personally and professionally, working with refugee and immigrant communities. He is known to bring a room together, both with his humor and his mustache.

​Tuesday Opening Remarks:

Lauren McLean was sworn in on Jan. 7, 2020. She is the 56th mayor of Boise and the first woman elected to that position in the city’s 150-year history. She is passionate about public service and committed to creating a city for everyone. Her service to the people of Boise began as a volunteer in 2001. She led the Boise Foothills Open Space Levy campaign and served on Boise City Council from 2011-2019.
​Tara Wolfson is the State Refugee Coordinator and Executive Director of the Idaho Office for Refugees. For 17 years, Tara has advanced Idaho’s commitment to being a welcoming home to new Americans. Over her career, Tara has also worked in mission-driven organizations for Middle East peace, environmental leadership, and political campaigns.

Tuesday Opening Presentation: Office of Refugee Resettlement

Carl Rubenstein has served as Division Chief for Refugee Services and Assistance at the Office of Refugee Resettlement since 2015, overseeing State Administered and Replacement Designee Refugee Assistance programs, and more recently the Matching Grant and Preferred Communities programs. He has worked for the Administration for Children and Families for 33 years, including 31 with ORR. Previously, he was a Refugee Analyst for Pennsylvania’s Refugee Resettlement Program and an Immigration Law Intern for Lutheran Children and Family Services.
Miro Marinovich serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement overseeing Refugee Program Bureau. In this capacity, he provides strategic leadership and executive oversight for the planning, management, and coordination of the nationwide refugee resettlement program. Miro leads the development and execution of key initiatives to improve policies and service delivery for refugees and other ORR-eligible populations.

Tuesday Plenary Session: 
​The Community Resiliency Model: Practical Skills for Coping with Stress & Trauma

Sara Skinner
Cultural Educator & Consultant
Justine Niyogushimwa
Community Advocate
Sadia Abdulkadir
​Social Work Master's Student
  • ​2:45-4:00 PM Tuesday, Feb. 3, in the JUMP Room (5th floor)
How can we help our clients manage stress and trauma, if we’re not trained therapists? How can we help ourselves and our colleagues cope with the stresses of our work? In this plenary session we'll learn about the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) - a practical, skills-based approach developed by the Trauma Resource Institute. The model has been proven effective in numerous research studies and used in over 90 countries, particularly in response to war and natural disasters. You will learn three easy-to-apply skills (Tracking, Resourcing, Grounding) to help you return to and stay within your “resilient zone,” where thinking is clearer and responses are more effective. In this interactive workshop, we’ll practice using these skills to better manage reactions to trauma reminders, ongoing stress, and everyday challenges.

Wednesday Plenary Session:
Memory Bridging the Human Journey: Art, Storytelling, and Lived Experience

Yidan Guo
​Independent Artist
Dr. Palina Louangketh
Idaho Museum of International Diaspora
  • ​‎2:45-4:00 PM Wednesday, Feb 4, in the JUMP Room (5th floor)
This closing plenary session brings together visual art, storytelling, and lived experience to illuminate the journeys of refugee and immigrant women. Artist Yidan Guo will present a selection of portrait paintings created through in-depth interviews, photography, and narrative writing with women from diverse cultural backgrounds. The session culminates in the unveiling of a new portrait of Dr. Palina Louangketh.  As a former refugee from Laos and the founder and CEO/Executive Director of the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora (IMID), Dr. Louangketh offers a powerful narrative lens on the human journey. She will share her family’s resettlement experience in Boise during the early 1980s and bring deep insight into themes of diaspora, belonging, community connection, and cross-cultural storytelling. 

Together, the presenters explore how art can humanize resettlement journeys, deepen community understanding, and expand the narrative of who belongs. Attendees will learn practical ways to integrate story-centered practices into service, education, and community engagement. This session invites attendees into a safe and shared space of reflection, empathy, and connection—aligning with this year’s conference theme, Building Tomorrow Together.