The Immigration Outreach Service Center Announces the Retirement of Executive Director, Patricia (Pat) Jones
The IOSC is saddened to announce the retirement of Ms. Patricia Jones as its Executive Director. Pat will continue with IOSC as an advisor until the newly appointed Executive Director, Mr. Bhim B K, transitions to leadership of the organization.
Pat Jones joined the IOSC in 2011, when operational and financial difficulties as well asanti-immigrant sentiments around 9/11 events forced the temporary closure of the center. During the closure Pat and a team of dedicated individuals met frequently to review thestatus of the organization and to determine how best to re-vision the center’s operation for reopening and future success. With recommendations from those meetings in hand, which included a major change in service delivery from direct to mainly referral services, Patalmost single handedly led the center’s successful reopening, and eventual full resumption of operations. She was officially appointed to the position of Executive Director when the center reopened in 2012.
Over the past twelve years Pat has led the IOSC on an extraordinarily successful journey. A few of the accomplishments she achieved during her tenure include:
• The successful reduction of IOSC’s debt to St Matthew Church for $60,000.
• Fostering lasting relationships with Baltimore City, the State of Maryland and Baltimore County agencies, other Immigrant Organizations, Immigrant Service
Providers, and partner churches and community organizations.
• Led the IOSC staff and volunteers to successfully implement many of the Center’s programs and activities.
• Oversaw the successful renovation of and transition to the new space. This included overseeing the related fund-raising activities.
• Led the center to financial stability through a successful program of fundraising and grant writing.
• Most importantly, Pat continually embodied the essence of IOSC’s culture, while re-branding the organization and ensuring the doors were always open to all, regardless of Race, Ethnicity, Faith, Gender, or Sexual Identity.
Pat worked tirelessly to ensure the awareness of the IOSC’s watchwords, “Immigrants are Welcomed.” She worked closely with the Pakistani Muslims, Syrian Muslims, Iraqi Christians, Catholics, and many others to ensure a safe place for all of them to tell their immigrant stories and to securely discuss immigration issues.
We at the IOSC take this opportunity to express how proud we are of Pat for her service, and our sincere love and gratitude for the challenges and personal sacrifices she embraced to ensure the organization’s success. Pat’s presence as IOSC’s leader will be sorely missed. We wish her well and offer best wishes and blessings for excellent health and great enjoyment, as she pursues some of her delayed personal desires, like paying more attention to her personal health and enjoying some travelling.
We all hope she continues to be as tenacious pursuing her happiness, as she has been leading the successes of the IOSC. The IOSC will host a proper farewell event in Pat’s honor soon. We will inform you when the event is scheduled.