Council President M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide), Chair of the Governance & Education Committee, issued the following statement recognizing the work of outgoing Executive Director of OneAmerica Rich Stolz and congratulating the Washington-based organization’s new leader Roxana Norouzi:
“As OneAmerica transitions its leadership, I want to recognize the work of the outgoing Executive Director and give a warm welcome to the organization’s new leader. I’ve been a member of OneAmerica for nearly a decade, and have had the privilege of interacting with outgoing Executive Director Rich Stolz, and seeing his vision for building immigrant power put into action. For 10 years, he’s been a steward of this important organization, influencing policies around immigration rights, and impacting the lives of so many immigrant families in Washington state. I thank him for his service, and wish him well on his next journey to explore new opportunities.
“I’m excited to welcome OneAmerica’s new leader, Roxana Norouzi, and look forward to continuing to work with her and the OneAmerica team, partnering with them to advocate on and secure rights for immigrants and refugees.
“As a first generation American like me, we share a common vision for bringing people together for the immigrant justice movement and challenging the norms of what a leader looks like. Roxana, who has served OneAmerica for 12 years and served as Deputy Director, brings vision and dedication to lead the organization into being not only the most effective immigrant rights organization in the state, but the country. Now is the time for women of color to lead, and join me in welcoming Roxana to this role.”