MEET THE 2024 TEAM

  • Rosie Lang: Co-Convener

    Rosie Lang, MSW, LCSW (she/hers) is an experienced social work leader dedicated to social justice advocacy, capacity building, and cultivating improved quality of care in intercultural practice settings. She moved from Hong Kong to St. Louis as a child and obtained a BA in Psychology at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. Later, she returned to receive a Master's in Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. As a former Director of Social Work, overseeing anti-trafficking in persons, behavioral health, and case management services, she is experienced in program development, innovative program design, developing & mentoring emerging social work leaders, and expanding regional capacity to serve at-risk immigrant and refugee populations. She utilizes her additional experience with trauma therapy, training, and coalition building to inform strategic initiatives to support immigrant and refugee populations and the broader community

  • Sarah Caldera Wimmer: Co-Convener

    Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LCSW, is the Director of Emotional & Physical Wellness at LifeWise StL. Sarah has her Master in Social Work degree from Washington University in St. Louis and over 15 years of nonprofit experience specializing in working with immigrants, mental health, perinatal behavioral health, social capital and community building. She is passionate about building inclusive communities that reflect the vibrancy of those living in them. She is fluent in Spanish and has worked alongside immigrants in St. Louis using specialized interventions for emotional wellness for community, groups, and individuals. Prior to moving to St. Louis, Sarah lived and worked in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua. She received her certificate in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Components of Care. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, Protective Parenting and Motivational Interviewing. Sarah has also completed the Leadership Academy for Trauma Informed Care.

  • Tola Abraham: Program Manager

    Tola Abraham is the Program Manager of Immigrant Service Providers Network ISPN. Prior to joining ISPN, Tola was an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Missouri St Louis, where she served as creative writing graduate faculty member in the MFA program. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos,Nigeria and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Iowa's Iowa Writers Workshop. A community organizer, speaker and author, her work has been nominated for several national and international prizes including the Kirkus Prize for fiction, the Hurston Wright Foundation Prize and the French Prix du Premier Roman.

  • Meaghan Bailey: Membership Committee Chair

    Meaghan Bailey, MPH is the manager of the Center for Community Health Partnership and Research (CCHPR) at the Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis. She obtained a BS from Clemson University and an MPH from George Washington University. Prior to joining the Institute for Public Health, Meaghan worked for VOYCE, the long-term care ombudsman program for the St. Louis region. She has been involved with ISPN since 2021 and is the chair of the Conference Committee for the second year. She supports other collaborative community initiatives in the region and has volunteered at several local and national nonprofit organizations

  • Angeles Ochoa-Raya: Conference Committee Co-Chair

    Angeles Ochoa-Raya, LMSW, (pronouns: She/Her(s)/Ella) is a Bilingual Youth Therapist for LifeWise STL and has been a member of ISPN since 2020. She moved from Chicago, IL to Saint Louis in 2019 to attend Washington University in St. Louis for her Master’s in Social Work. Angeles is a therapist trained in various treatment models. Using her training in TF-CBT and TraumaSMART, Angeles implements a trauma focus in her development and provision of therapeutic services for immigrant, refugee, and mixed-status families. With her skills formed through her experience in therapeutic treatment and program development, student mentorship, case management, and racial equity development, Angeles uses her skills to build collaborative relationships and psychoeducational learning experiences with community members and service providers.

  • Adriana Aramburu-Graypel: Language Justice Committee Co-Chair

    Adriana Aramburu-Graypel is the Center Manager for the Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration (CHRGM) at the Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis. She obtained her BA in Psychology and Spanish from the University of New Mexico and a Master’s in Public Health concentrating in Global Health from Washington University in St. Louis. Over the last 8 years, she has worked with immigrant communities in a variety of settings ranging from volunteer-work at a nonprofit medical clinic in New Mexico, as a Health Equity Coordinator in Colorado, and now in her current role as Center Manager here in St. Louis. She has been involved with ISPN since the beginning of 2022 and has joined as the Language Justice co-chair in April of 2023.

ISPN is a volunteer-led network of service providers and community advocates. Applications are now open for individuals to volunteer to serve on the Executive Committee, the primary leadership body of ISPN. For more information and the application, follow the links below.

PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

  • 2020 - 2021

    Chair: Julie Fox, Immigrant Home English Learning Program (IHELP)

    Vice Chair: Aya Kawasaki, Multicultural Counseling Research Center (MCRC)

    Fiscal Sponsor Representative: Sara John, Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA)

    Program Manager: Rita Chang, IFCLA

    Communications Committee Chair: Eliza Prager

    COVID-19 Vaccine Committee Chair: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Community Services

    Language Access Committee Chair: Kathryn Koch

    Membership Committee Chair: Sidee Conteh, Sierra Leone Community of St. Louis

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Marissa Cohen, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council

  • 2019 - 2020

    Chair: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Community Services

    Vice Chair: Julie Fox, Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program (IRWP)

    Secretary/Treasurer: Jacquelyn Ballard, International Institute

    Program Manager: Rita Chang, IFCLA

    Census/Civic Engagement Committee Chair: Emily Stuart, LifeWise StL

    Communications Committee Chair: Aya Kawasaki, Multicultural Counseling Research Center (MCRC)

    Language Access Committee Chair: Blake Hamilton, International Institute

    Membership Committee Chair: Ruth Terry Vilches, Casa de Salud

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Sarah Barekzai, All Access Interpreters

  • 2018 - 2019

    Chair: Kris Walentik, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (CLAM)

    Vice Chair: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Community Services

    Secretary: Jacquelyn Ballard, International Institute

    Ankle Monitors Committee Chair: Maria Torres Wedding, MICA Project

    Communications Committee Chair: Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LifeWise StL

    Membership Committee Chair: Ruth Terry Vilches, Casa de Salud

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Jason Baker, Bilingual International Assistant Services (BIAS)

  • 2017 - 2018

    Chair: Kris Walentik, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (CLAM)

    Vice Chair: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Community Services

    Secretary: Ruth Terry Vilches, Casa de Salud

    Advocacy, Education & Outreach Committee Chair: Sara John, St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin American (IFCLA)

    Communications Committee Chair: Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LifeWise StL

    Foreign Born Committee Chair: Jessie Chappell, CG Immigration Law

    Membership Committee Chair: Maria Torres Wedding, MICA Project

    MIRA Staff: Amanda Tello, Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates (MIRA)

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Jason Baker, Bilingual International Assistant Services (BIAS)

  • 2016 - 2017

    Chair: Nancy Spargo, Sparlin Mental Health, St. Louis Center for Family Development

    Vice Chair: Kristine Walentik, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (CLAM)

    Secretary: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Comminity Services

    Advocacy, Education & Outreach Committee Chair: Jessie Chappell, CG Immigration Law

    Communications Committee Chair: Glenn Burleigh, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council (EHOC)

    MIRA Staff & Advocacy Committee Chair: David Nehrt-Flores, Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates (MIRA)

    MIRA Staff: Aimee Abizera, Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates (MIRA)

    Membership Committee Chair: Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LifeWise StL

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Suzanne LeLauren, International Institute

  • 2015 - 2016

    Chair: Nancy Spargo, Sparlin Mental Health, St. Louis Center for Family Development

    Vice Chair: Kristine Walentik, Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (CLAM)

    Secretary: Meredith Rataj, St. Francis Comminity Services

    Advocacy, Education & Outreach Committee Chair: Jessie Chappell, CG Immigration Law

    Communications Committee Chair: Glenn Burleigh, Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council (EHOC)

    Membership Committee Chair: Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LifeWise StL

    MIRA Staff & Advocacy Committee Chair: David Nehrt-Flores, Missouri Immigrant & Refugee Advocates (MIRA)

    Service Providers Committee Chair: Suzanne LeLauren, International Institute