ATLANTA, GA, Apr. 27, — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta is thrilled to announce Justin Howell as our new Executive Director. Justin is a professional educator with over a decade of teaching experience working with international populations—originating in the DeKalb International Student Center where he worked with newly arrived refugee students with less than five years of education in their home countries—and has established public charter schools and developed community-based ESOL programs. 

In his close to ten years with the IRC in Atlanta, Justin has held a number of roles with increasing responsibility including Education and Learning Manager, Development Manager, Deputy Director of Programs, and most recently, Interim Executive Director. He has been instrumental in expanding the IRC in Atlanta’s increasingly diverse programming, growing from a $4.5 million to a $7.5 million operation in six years. Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Justin led his team into a partnership which resulted in over 15,000 free tests provided in client communities and has now evolved to become a state recognized provider, delivering Pfizer vaccines through mobile units with interpretation in 20+ languages.

Justin has held several leadership positions in the community, as a past board member for the International Community School in Decatur and for Solutions for Interrupted Education and is a current member of Georgia State University's Alumni Advisory Council. In 2016, Justin served as the Religion and Public Life Fellow for the Religious Studies Department at Georgia State University and in 2017 served as the Religion and Public Life Scholar. Justin holds a M.Ed. in pedagogy and curriculum as well as a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, sociology, and biology.

After a thorough and competitive recruitment process over the last two months with both internal and external candidates, Justin demonstrated the traits of leadership sought after by the team in Atlanta—acknowledgement and understanding of external events and issues impacting clients and staff from diverse backgrounds; a commitment to engaging with proactive Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice work; open communication, collaboration and decision making; leading with empathy, compassion and respect; and a sustainable and balanced approach to work. 

Contact Justin!

Justin looks forward to connecting with community leaders, nonprofit partners, funders, donors and supporters of the IRC in the coming weeks! You can reach Justin directly at [email protected], on +1 678-636-8929, or via LinkedIn.

 

More about the IRC in Atlanta:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to integrate and thrive in Georgia communities. A committed staff of professionals and volunteers work together to assist families in reuniting and rebuilding their lives in the greater Atlanta area. The IRC in Atlanta offers a broad range of programs including resettlement and case management services, youth and adult education classes, employment assistance, health and wellness programs, and immigration services, all of which serve close to 3,500 clients per year. Learn more at Rescue.org/Atlanta or @ircatlanta on Facebook and Instagram.