TASSC Board of Directors

Nancy Bothne, PhD

PRESIDENT

Nancy is the current TASSC Chairperson.  Nancy has been a lifelong human rights activist.  For much of her career, she worked for human rights organizations promoting human rights for those people who are most vulnerable to abuses, including working for Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union.  She completed a PhD program in community psychology in 2012 and now works with clinical psychology students to enable them to help communities and individuals heal.  Nancy has also offered training to mental health and trauma centers on liberation psychology and the effects of intergenerational oppression, and how to help the community heal from trauma.

Ibrahim Jatenie

Treasurer

Ibrahim Jatene was born in Ethiopia and is a survivor of torture. He has a bachelor and master’s degree in business from Ethiopia and an MBA from the US. He was a Senior Lecturer, Researcher, and community service provider at Adama Science and Technology University. In Ethiopia,  Ibrahim repeatedly suffered from torture and abuse due to his political views and disapproval of government. Ibrahim fled to America in early 2015 and his family later joined him. He has been working as a Staff Accountant at Woodley House Inc., a nonprofit which provides mental health housing and support services in Washington, DC for men and women with chronic and persistent mental illness. Ibrahim has been a TASSC member since 2015 and is committed to abolishing torture.

Sarah Clark

Secretary

Sarah’s connection with TASSC began in the early 2000’s while working with Amnesty International and supporting some June 26 events and facilitating some membership and board meetings.  Since she joined the TASSC board of directors in 2018, she has served as board secretary and finance team member.  In her work she has supported mission driven organizations and social justice advocacy coalitions working on human rights, housing, health, and the environment.  Currently working at the Institute for Conservation Leadership, Sarah supports environmental and conservation groups leaders and networks in their work to support communities and a healthy environment. She studied sociology in university and has a Masters in Organization Development from American University. 

Munawar "Sufi" Laghari

Mr. Munawar “Sufi” Laghari is the Executive Director of the Sindhi Foundation. As a survivor and founding member of TASSC, Laghari has testified before many government and human rights groups including: the Congressional Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of Asia and Pacific;  the Congressional Human Rights Caucus;  the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland; the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs; the House Committee on Appropriations; the World Summit in Durban, South Africa; and, the Washington National press Club with Amnesty International. Laghari has also been interviewed by the Washington Times, Voice of America, BBC, SABC, Times of India and ANI.  He is the author of two books on his exile and human rights work in his native language Sindhi. Sufi is best known as a disciple of Bhitai’s poetry, and his most recent book on Bhittai’s poetry is titled "Glimpses of The Beloved." 

Cynthia Langtiw, PsyD

Dr. Cynthia Lubin Langtiw is a Haitian American licensed clinical and community psychologist and Full Professor in the clinical psychology program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has served as a supervising psychologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and Advocate Family Care Network and currently consults with their doctoral clinical training program. Dr. Langtiw is a volunteer psychologist and clinical supervisor with The Marjorie Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture. She also provides training on psychological trauma for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Her clinical work reflects a strong systemic/community sensibility that integrates a relational cultural perspective. Much of her clinical work has been helping youth, adults, couples, families and communities utilize their own resources to heal from trauma. Dr. Langtiw has a strong passion for teaching, qualitative research, clinical training and enjoys supporting students in finding their voice in psychology.

Hagir Elsheikh, BSN, RN

Hagir Elsheikh is an entrepreneur, an electrical engineer, a registered nurse, the owner/CEO of HSE Staffing Agency and Tomorrow’s Smile INC. She is best known for her Human Rights, Women's Rights activism, domestic violence, and immigration advocacy. Hagir experienced domestic violence after she fled political violence and torture in Sudan. She thought of herself as someone who could make a difference. After all, she was the spokesperson for the Democratic party during college. She fought a corrupted regime in Sudan among other activists that put her life in danger and she was forced to seek immigration to the US in search of a better life. 

Hagir’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community at large. She was recognized in 2017 by the Central Penn Business Journal (CPBJ) as a “Women of Influence.” According to CPBJ Publisher Shaun McCoach, nominations are independently scored based on their contributions to the community by judges who are selected from a list of past winners. “Based on her outstanding contributions to the community, it’s no surprise that Hagir won,” he said. It’s tough not to marvel at Elsheikh. Many wonder how she manages to pack so much into her schedule without falling apart at the seams, but the fabric of her life seems to be woven of Kevlar and she’s overcome adversity time and again with grit, determination, hard work, and resilience. She was featured in many magazines, newspapers, Documentaries and TV shows in the US and internationally. Hagir was also the recipient of the health care hero award in 2017. Hagir’s company was named Readers’ Choice Simply the Best Staffing Agency in Central Pennsylvania for 2 years in the raw 2017 and 2018. Hagir was recently honored by the state of Pennsylvania on their Year of the Woman Recognition.

Heidi Evans

In her personal and professional work, Heidi pursues positions in which she can empower organizations through their employees and volunteers. She has volunteered for many service-oriented organizations over the past thirty years. At Amnesty International, Heidi chaired the Membership Engagement Team, leading the team to generate ideas and recommendations for maximizing volunteer involvement and leadership in order to win more human rights victories. Heidi also lobbied her state and federal leaders to pass human rights laws, including protection of women, children, and the imprisoned. She is a gifted bridge builder, working tirelessly to create connections and understanding between members, volunteers, and staff with a focus on fairness, equality, and accountability. By day, Heidi works as a senior human resources professional and is a former practicing attorney. She is working on her advanced law degree with an emphasis on human rights and corporate accountability. She would be honored to bring her talents and time to TASSC. The organization’s values align with her own: truth, transparency, and accountability, and the mission to abolish torture wherever it occurs is a primary reason she returned to legal studies at this stage in her life.

Etsegenet Kedir

Etsegenet was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She received her Master of Science degree in social work from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2022. She has a bachelor’s degree in law from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, and a master’s degree in international human rights law from Lund University in Sweden. Back home, Etsegenet worked as a licensed practicing lawyer. Etsegenet interned with AsylumWorks (AW), and continued working there as a social worker after her graduation. Prior to joining AW, Etsegenet has worked at Catholic Legal Immigration Network as a paralegal, and as a program Coordinator at Nonprofit Village in Maryland. Etsegenet also interned with the African Faith and Justice Network, and Volunteered with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in Washington D.C. Etsegenet is fluent in Amharic, English and Swedish. Etsegenet’s carrier goal is to serve marginalized groups of immigrants through direct practice, advocacy, and activism.

Surita Sandosham

Surita Sandosham is a dedicated social justice advocate.  She is a lawyer by training who has deep experience in the international development and human rights sectors, holding executive positions in Amnesty International, Equality Now, Lambda Legal Defense Fund, Synergos and Heartland Alliance International. At the Rockefeller Foundation and Synergos her work focused on the intersections of leadership, philanthropy and collective action to solve intractable social issues.  As the former Executive Director of Heartland Alliance International, she led a staff of almost 500  in the US and globally, providing mental health support and access to justice to refugees, internally displaced people, women and girls impacted by violence and conflict, LGBTQ and asylum seekers impacted by government sanctioned torture. She has lived and worked in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, India and the United States

She is originally from Singapore and holds a law degree from City University London and a bachelor of arts degree from the London University School of Oriental and African Studies and has practiced law in New York and in Singapore.

Samson Tesfaye Chemir

Samson T. Chemir is a lawyer by training and has experiences in the world of education, media and business. Samson has lectured, advocated and lobbied for the prevalence of Human rights in Ethiopia and here in the United states. Previously, he served 1 term as TASSC board member where he played a role in advocacy, strategic planning and in preparation of fundraising e-news letters. Some may remember him from his days behind big interviews with the likes of Pres. Jerry Rowling(Ghana),P.M. Abdella Hamdock(Sudan) and other African movers and shakers.Currently, he hosts a podcast called "Ethiopian XYZ" on Spotify .Samson has a Bachelor in LAW/LL.B. He also has a certificate from Harvard Business School on Business fundamentals(HBX Core) and Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists from Arizona State University.