Refugees in the Time of COVID-19

World Refugee Day 2020 Webinar

Bios:

Currently Paula Walker is the Resettlement Director for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX. She has spent 25 years of her professional career dedicated to serving and advocating for the under-privileged: refugees, asylees, attached refugee minors and victims of human trafficking.

Previously, Ms. Walker served tirelessly as a humanitarian aid worker in the worn-torn region of the former Yugoslavia. She served in non-governmental, organizational capacities abroad in Slovenia, Denmark, France, Belgium, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, and China.

Under her direction and leadership, Refugee Resettlement Services in San Antonio has grown into one of the largest refugee resettlement programs in the state of Texas, and one of the largest Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program in the nation.

Paula Walker holds a recognized field experience degree equivalent to a Master’s Degree in Social Work, and Program Management. She began as a case manager meeting the day-to-day needs during the resettlement process, and advanced to a program coordinator where she organized and managed the complexities of case management and built an orientation program from the ground up.

Giulia McPherson is the Director of Advocacy & Operations at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, a non-governmental organization operating in more than 50 countries to meet the educational, health, and social needs of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. She has over 15 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors and currently leads JRS/USA’s policy and advocacy portfolio, community engagement program to educate and mobilize advocates, and institutional operations.

Refugees in the Time of COVID-19

World Refugee Day 2020 Webinar

Prior to joining JRS/USA, Giulia spent over 10 years at CARE USA, most recently as Director of Citizen Advocacy. In this capacity, she coordinated CARE’s national efforts to build and mobilize constituencies on behalf of U.S. policies that support the fight against global poverty.

Giulia has a Bachelors in Political Science from Villanova University and a Masters in International Development Studies from The George Washington University. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Educate2Envision International, member of the Board of Directors for AMP Global Youth, and appointed Commissioner on the Montgomery County (MD) Commission for Women. She and her husband, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, live in Bethesda, MD with their three children.

Matthew Wilch is the Refugee Policy Advisor for Migration and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (MRS/USCCB) in Washington, D.C. USCCB/MRS advocates for just and humane refugee and migration policies and programs with the U.S. Executive Branch, Congress, and UNHCR, and collaborates with international, national, and local partners on this advocacy. Matt is part of USCCB domestic and international field assessments to seek policy and service solutions for emerging or protracted refugee or forced migration situations. He also speaks and writes about those policies, programs, and situations. He has served for over 25 years at the local and national levels doing direct service, program development, and policy and advocacy related to migration and human rights. He received his Juris Doctor from Arizona State University.