
OUR TEAM

SARAH CADY
Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Cady, LICSW, brings 24 years of experience working with foreign-born populations in the education, health, and refugee resettlement sectors. She has served as a refugee case manager, job developer, and director of programs at both national and local levels. Prior to joining REACT DC, she was the Executive Director of the Refugee and Immigrant Services Department at Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), overseeing large-scale employment and initial resettlement programs for refugees, SIVs, and Afghan and Ukrainian parolees. She also opened and directed the LIRS Alexandria Field Office, which resettled over 1,400 Afghan allies after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
Sarah is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in DC and Virginia and speaks French. When she is not working, you can find her chasing her 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. She is an avid reader and enjoys riding her bike, practicing yoga, running, and gardening.
Directors
Staff
Ahmad Tamim Ahmadi "Tamim"
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Intake Coordinator
Freshta Ansari
REACTlegal Specialist
Asma Bandawal
Women's Empowerment Program Childminder
Maiwand Basiri
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Employment Coordinator
Amanullah Chamkani
REACTlegal Specialist
Mansoora Daryabie
Virginia Refugee Student Achievement Project (VRSAP) Coordinator
Joseph Flynn
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Training Specialist
Omid Kamal
REACTlegal Specialist
Frozan Massoudi
Women's Empowerment Program Digital Literacy Instructor
Javed Naseer-Ahmed
Mentoring Youth in Virginia (MYVA) Coordinator
Mohammad Zareef Nizami
REACTlegal Specialist
Humeira O'Mary
Women's Empowerment Program Childminder
Nasira Oraal
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Intake Coordinator
Ana Pavlovic
Virginia Refugee Student Achievement Project (VRSAP) Coordinator
Atiqullah Rahimi
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Interpreter/Translator, Employment Coordinator
Tammy Ross
Mentoring Youth in Virginia (MYVA) Coordinator
Mirza Rafat
REACTlegal Senior Legal Specialist
Hosay Sadat
Preferred Communities Program Coordinator
Nesibe Sevim
REACT DC Administrative Assistant
Hasib Satary
Virginia Refugee Student Achievement Project (VRSAP) Coordinator
Hayatullah Sherzad
Reception and Placement (R&P) Coordinator
Shoaib Khan Shinwari
REACTlegal Specialist
Sora Studa
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Business Liaison
Oliver Subasinghe
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Employment Coordinator
Mansora Sultani
Women's Empowerment Program Sewing Workshop Instructor
Zeynep Timmester
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Employment Coordinator
Zohra Veedy
Refugee Support Services Employment Program (RSSEP) Case Manager/Employment Specialist
Samina Yousofi
Women's Empowerment Program English Language Instructor
Board of Directors
AMY MARDEN
Founder | Board Chair Emeritus
Amy has dedicated thirteen years to giving voice and agency to at-risk and transitional populations. She served six years as a resource and referral liaison for the U.S. Navy, both domestically and in Japan, where she worked with military families facing reintegration challenges after multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at sea. Following the Afghanistan evacuations, Amy founded REACT DC to assist Afghan allies with their resettlement. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board of that organization, which supports over 800 Afghan and Ukrainian newcomers per month.
Amy is a practicing attorney and former federal law clerk for the Northern District of Florida, where she assessed the validity of prisoners’ “last rights” appeals. She is also the author of The Parts We Lost, which she published on the eve of the final evacuation flight out of HKIA.

Key Volunteers
Molly Sepulvado
Founding Member
Caroline Lavin
Summer Intern 2022
Sofia Joucovsky
Summer Intern 2023
Amy Zheng
UMD Impact Intern Summer 2024
Kelly Smith
Founding Member
Public Relations Manager
Caroline Bello
Founding Member
Tomoko Kawasumi
Founding Member
Betsy Keenan
Founding Member
Tomoko Kawasumi
Founding Member
Kim Lundberg
Founding Member
Kim Mestre
Founding Member
Yannie Chang
REACTwomen/VRSAP/MYVA
Katy Coleman
REACTwomen/VRSAP/MYVA
Sebghatullah Ahmad Alizai
RSSEP
















