Direct Support for Immigrants has a seven-member volunteer board of directors that meets regularly. The board officers are John Blount, Lisa Lorraine and Bear Paul. The other members of the board are Martin Hindel, Myra Rivera Blanco, Harry Iceland, and Marlene Rivas.
Lisa lorraine, Vice PRESIDENT
Lisa Lorraine is a founding member and the current vice president for Direct Support for Immigrants (DSI). A dedicated social justice advocate, Lisa’s leadership skills and ability to partner with other local groups assisting the immigrant community have resulted in expanding DSI’s reach and effectiveness, as well as focusing the group’s efforts. Lisa was also an early voice urging DSI to become a nonprofit entity, a status that was granted in June 2018.
Having graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Lisa also holds a master’s degree in special and general education from the Bank Street College of Education. Fluent in Spanish, she has worked as a teacher at Title I schools in New York and in the District of Columbia.
Martin Hindel
Martin Hindel has been a volunteer and Board Member of DSI since December 2017 and has served as Treasurer in the past. In 2018, Martin assisted DSI with incorporating in the state of Maryland and obtaining IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.
Employed in research support at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Martin is also passionate about serving marginalized people and advancing social justice causes.
Martin's involvement with DSI grew out of his frustration with the 2016 Presidential Election, and he has remained active to help serve as a voice of welcome to immigrants and to assist them in transitions to life in the US and the DC area.
Harry Iceland
Harry Iceland has been a volunteer with Direct Support for Immigrants since early 2019, providing rides to court, legal, ICE-related and medical appointments and assistance with food deliveries, public school enrollment, and other county-provided services. He has been active in human rights issues in the community as a former member of the Montgomery County Ethnic Affairs Committee and the Rockville Human Rights Commission.
He is a retired Foreign Service Officer, serving for 25 years in positions in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Greece and Washington, DC. He is also an archaeologist with a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and has taught archaeology at Florida Atlantic University and Montgomery College. He was a research collaborator in the Smithsonian Anthropology Department and program manager for cultural heritage protection projects for the US State Department. He speaks Spanish and Greek.
Marlene Rivas
Marlene was born in El Salvador and emigrated to Maryland in 1991. She is a Watkins Mill High School and a University of Maryland alumna. She is currently residing in Germantown, MD raising her two daughters whom attend MCPS schools.
Marlene joins DSI as a volunteer and now as a board member and brings many years of experience providing services for multicultural communities. Her significant experience in private and government services has allowed her to build lifelong relationships with the community including working with non-profit organizations, private firms and government agencies.