The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ (̽»¨¾«Ñ¡) in Salt Lake City is excited to officially announce recent changes in our leadership. In April 2019, former executive director, Patrick Poulin, accepted the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Regional Director, Pacific West role. He will continue to provide regional leadership to more than ten ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ offices, from Tucson, AZ to Seattle, WA. We are grateful for his continued efforts to ensure our programming and services focus on the humanity, dignity, and long-term success of those fleeing persecution and violence to find homes in our communities. In his place, our former deputy director of development & strategic initiatives, Natalie El-Deiry, has accepted the executive director role.

Natalie, who joined the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in 2010, brings with her over 15 years of nonprofit administration experience, including fundraising, grants management, volunteer management and developing programs to serve vulnerable populations. As the daughter of immigrant parents, the mission of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ and the belief that everyone deserves equal economic, social & political rights and opportunities are deeply personal to her.

Natalie El-Deiry, new executive director of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City, smiling in a portrait photo.
Natalie El-Diery joined the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City in 2010. In April 2019, she accepted the executive director role bringing over 15 years of nonprofit administration experience with her.
Photo: Austin Diamond

Natalie is the co-founder of , a food entrepreneurship program for New Americans, and New Roots in Salt Lake City, a refugee agriculture and gardening program. Most recently, She was recognized as one of by Utah Business Magazine in 2017 and awarded for Creating Opportunity in 2018.

Here is a brief message from Natalie as she embarks on her new leadership role and the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City faces new challenges in the coming year:

Dear friends—

It is a great pleasure to share with you that last month I officially became the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City’s Executive Director. It’s an honor to assume this leadership position from Patrick Poulin, who is now ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Pacific-West Regional Director for US Programs. I have been with the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City since moving to Utah in 2010, after having worked in direct service for vulnerable populations and nonprofit administration. With the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, I have been able to build my career in social justice working for the human rights and equality for New Americans. And now, as the Executive Director, I am honored to continue our path forward to sustain and grow our work in Utah.

The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City opened our doors in 1994. Over that 25-year history in Utah, we have welcomed over 11,000 refugees and served thousands more through our breadth of innovative programs designed to empower refugees, and other new Americans, to create stable families and prosper as they positively integrate into life in the Salt Lake community. Our work not only allows people to find safety and to build a new life, but to find a new home. Through the work of our incredible staff, volunteers, partners and other supporters, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City has built a corps of humanitarians to serve those in need.

As we look to the years ahead, we will continue to welcome refugee families to Utah with you by our side. Though we face unprecedented opposition and adversarial policy positions—creating the sharpest decline in refugee resettlement and an historical low number of newly arriving refugees—we will embrace the opportunity to fill service gaps and deepen our work in the community to support long-term successes for refugee and New American families.

On behalf of the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City and all who we serve, thank you for standing with the families who are seeking safety in our country, thank you for standing with the new Americans who are building new lives in our community, and thank you for supporting the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Salt Lake City.

I look forward to our continued efforts together as we continue to welcome refugees to Utah: today, tomorrow and always.

Warmly,

Natalie El-Deiry

Executive Director

Learn more about supporting our work and those we serve by visiting Rescue.org/SupportSLC.