Leadership * Community

Our collective of board members, leaders and volunteers manage, strategize, implement, and provide care for our communities in San Diego and worldwide.

Amjad Alqazaqi
Director of Operations and Logistics

Amjad Alqzaqi oversees operations and technology for the SCIRC, as well as for all the Palmcare Healthcare services, including the Medical and Mental Healthcare Clinics and  Pharmacies. Prior to this, he oversaw IT for Easylog Logisitics Services in Amman, Jordan. An immigrant himself, he is known for going the extra mile beyond his job to get to know the community and ensure everyone they serve has access to all their needs. Amjad holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems (Computer Science) from the University of Jordan.

Sabah Hana
Case Worker

Sabah Hana, an Iraqi immigrant, moved to the United States in 2008 with his wife and three children. Graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Accounting, he increasingly felt he needed to contribute to change in his community. For over ten years, he has been assisting refugee families in applying for government social service programs such as Medical, Food Stamps, Employment, Housing, and many other programs. He says, “Giving other refugees the opportunities and assistance I never got was the goal in mind and I am proud to say that I have assisted thousands of different families with multiple dilemmas.” As a result, he has been invited to assist police in translating, as needed. Multilingual (Arabic, Chaldean, and English), Hana has been able to communicate with multiple communities towards the resources they need.

Samira G. Yalda
Case Worker

Samira Yalda is a Case Worker with the San Ysidro Health Center and the CMSS Behaviorial Health Clinic. Prior to this, she was an Interpreter, Translator, and Community Liaison for six years for Chaldean and Middle-Eastern Social Services, in El Cajon, CA (Greater San Diego Area), providing translation and interpretation services to Middle-Eastern refugees, and working with clients to properly fill out documents for immigration, naturalization, and other legal matters; medical and social services; public assistance; and personal business.

Before immigrating to the U.S., she worked in a similar position for refugees in Instanbul, Turkey, conducting cultural orientation workshops in refugees’ languages (English, Arabic, Chaldean/Assyrian and Turkish), and conducting research to improve refugee services using culturally and linguistically competent resources. She has served as Secretary to Consul General for the Consulate General of the Republic of Iraq, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Passionate about deepening her strength to show up for refugees, she has Certifications in: Refugee Family Strengthening, 24-Hour Iraqi Mentors Training, from from Jewish Family Services (Active Refugee and Immigrants curriculum); Job Readiness and Cultural Orientation (Catholic Charities, Refugee Services); Citizenship Teacher Training (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services); Health Care Interpretation Course; and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. Samirah Yalda holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mosul’s College of Science, Chemistry major, in Mosul, Iraq.

Media Younus
Social Worker Assistant

Media Younis is a recent graduate from San Diego State University, with a BA in Social Work. Since graduating in 2019, she has been a Social Worker Assistant, including at Elm ADHC adult day care center. There, under the guidance of the social worker and care plan, she interviewed and screened all applicants and referrals, provided counseling and group discussion, connected clients to community resources, and lead participants in problem-oriented discussion groups and task-oriented committees. She is excited to bring her experience and dedication to the SCIRC community.

Maya Alsalim
Office Manager

(Bio coming soon.)

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