Meet

Our Team

Maria G.

Moreno

CEO

Maria Moreno is deeply committed to working with the US private sector to expand their impact in humanitarian responses to migration challenges. Her strategic vision and fundraising acumen have been critical in developing USA for IOM into IOM’s trusted non-profit partner in the US. 

Maria is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive, and a member of the US and Global Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) with a background in corporate law.  

OPERATIONS STAFF

Sarah Jamesen

Operations Lead

Sarah is dedicated to bridging sectoral gaps to strengthen IOM operations. She helps develop USA for IOM’s strategic vision for private sector engagement; supports current projects and prospective programming by coordinating with diverse partners ranging from corporations to diaspora communities, and directs research and information sharing with current and potential academic partners. 

Before joining IOM, Sarah worked with victims of trafficking in Southeast Asia and Arabic-speaking refugees in the US.  

Alejandra Ospina

Outreach Consultant

Alejandra supports the important awareness-raising efforts of USA for IOM. She coordinates the digital visibility actions to bring attention to urgent migration challenges and the ongoing work of IOM with our partners, supporters, and the general public.

Alejandra is a political science and foreign affairs professional. She holds a Master on Management of Corporate Communications and has 8+ years of experience as International Development professional and as an entrepreneur. 

Luciano

Arroio

Operations Assistant

Luciano was born in Mexico City to Brazilian immigrants and in 1999 moved to Washington D.C. He received his BA in literature and cultural anthropology in 2014 and became a Youth Development Counselor. Luciano entered the UN system as an intern at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and soon began working for the Resource Mobilization and Partnership development unit.

 In 2021, he graduated from University of Denver’s Korbel International Aid and Development program with a specialization in Latin American socio-economic integration and forced migration. 

Ira 

Papagjika

Intern

Ira is a lawyer with over 13 years of work experience spent serving in the Public Administration of Albania, most recently holding the position of deputy commissioner within the office of the Albanian Ombudsman where she worked in the field of children’s rights.

As a children’s rights lawyer she has a particular interest in the unaccompanied children and children on the move. She holds an LLM form Washington College of Law in International Legal Studies and a double degree MA in Democracy and Human Rights from Sarajevo and Bologna University.