Contact: Mark Foggin, Interim Executive Director, mfoggin@aafscny.org
New York, NY (September 8, 2025) – The Arab American Family Support Center’s board chair, Naseem Haffar, announced today that Mr. Randy Ali has been named AAFSC’s new executive director. Randy joins AAFSC after 14 years at the U.S. Agency for International Development where he directed large, multidisciplinary teams managing assistance programs that improved the lives of millions across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. “AAFSC’s board of directors could not be more excited for Randy to join the organization at this critical moment,” said Mr. Haffar. “Randy has consistently focused on locally led solutions and leveraged cross sector coalitions—nonprofit, philanthropic, governmental, and corporate—to achieve measurable, durable impact. We are delighted that Randy will bring his enormous experience to AAFSC and the communities we serve.”
Randy, the son of Egyptian immigrants and who was raised on Staten Island, began his career as a corporate finance attorney in New York City before moving into public service. Most recently, he served as the USAID mission director in Morocco, leading programs in youth development, economic opportunity, and community resilience—areas of focus that align closely with AAFSC’s daily work. Prior to serving in Morocco, Randy held a leadership role at USAID in Bangladesh where he oversaw the mission’s humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees and efforts to support disadvantaged and food-insecure communities nationwide. He also previously held leadership roles in Ukraine, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands.
“After years of leading complex and deeply meaningful work overseas, I am incredibly honored and excited to return to the city that raised me and to serve it in this new role,” said Randy Ali, incoming executive director of AAFSC. “I am eager to bring my years of international experience back home to New York to further AAFSC’s mission of helping communities flourish. There could hardly be a more critical time to deliver the essential services that AAFSC provides to New Yorkers.”
While earning his J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center, Randy represented asylum seekers fleeing persecution, reinforcing his commitment to culturally responsive legal and social support. As a young New Yorker, he was active with the Police Athletic League and the American Cancer Society and engaged in environmental-justice work in New York City—experiences that rooted a lifelong dedication to underserved communities.
Randy, who assumes the role on September 29, will oversee AAFSC’s work providing a range of social services to immigrants across the five boroughs of New York City. AAFSC is a settlement house whose safety-net social services are open to all, but whose staff have particular expertise in serving the needs of Arab American, Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian, and Muslim New Yorkers. He joins AAFSC after a period of transformation that has seen the organization grow from its Brooklyn roots to serve over 20,000 New Yorkers a year from locations in all five boroughs. AAFSC has an annual budget of $17 million and employs over 150 dedicated human services workers.
Randy will succeed long-time nonprofit leader and consultant, Mark Foggin, who has served as AAFSC’s interim executive director for the past two years. Board chair Haffar continued: “I want to extend the deep thanks of the entire board of directors to Mark for his exemplary work to streamline AAFSC’s operations after a period of rapid growth. He has set us on a path toward continued, long-term success.”
Leaders from across the city and the country have weighed in with congratulations and aspirations for Randy’s new role and AAFSC’s continued success.
“I’ve had the honor of working with Randy for the past several years to advance the needs of communities in Morocco,” said Lena Al Husseini, country director for the Peace Corps in Morocco and, formerly, executive director of AAFSC for more than a decade. “I’m also intimately familiar with AAFSC and the communities it serves, and I know Randy will help immigrants in New York City to thrive.”
“Settlement houses like AAFSC have been an essential part of helping immigrants and refugees to get settled and build a life in New York City for almost 150 years,” said Susan Stamler, executive director of United Neighborhood Houses. “The work of settlement houses couldn’t be more important than it is right now. On behalf of the 46 settlements in New York that we represent—and our workforce of over 20,000—we are excited for Randy’s leadership and to work together for a fairer and more just city for our newest residents.”
“AAFSC fills a critical space for child welfare in New York,” said Kathleen Brady-Stepien, president and CEO of the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies, which serves as an advocate for the more than 100 private nonprofit agencies providing the vast majority of child welfare work across the state. “To be able to support families in crisis in the languages that they feel most comfortable speaking in—including Arabic, Bangla, and Urdu, to name a few—is critical to the success AAFSC has had. I look forward to Randy joining the excellent team of professionals at AAFSC and to working with him.”
“As a funder committed to creating stronger and more equitable communities, we are proud financial supporters of AAFSC,” said Katy Clark, executive director of the Kornfeld Foundation. “We welcome Randy to his new role. We have appreciated the thoughtful and deliberate approach that AAFSC’s board and interim leadership have taken to the transition over the past two years. It has only bolstered our confidence in AAFSC and the great work it does.”
“I could not be more pleased to learn that Randy Ali will be taking the helm at AAFSC,” said long-time NYC civic and community leader Dr. Debbie Almontaser, president of the Muslim Community Network and cofounder of the Yemeni American Merchants Association. “AAFSC is the largest and oldest MENA-serving organization in New York and its impact on the community over the past 30-plus years is admirable. I look forward to working with Randy to support immigrant communities across the city.”
“AAFSC has been a long-standing partner of the NYIC,” said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “I congratulate Randy on his appointment as executive director of the Arab American Family Support Center and look forward to collaborating with him in our coalitions to fight for the rights of immigrant New Yorkers.”
“ACCESS has been a proud partner of the Arab American Family Support Center, and we are thrilled that Mr. Randy Ali will be taking over at the helm to achieve new levels of impact,” said Maha Freij, president and CEO of ACCESS, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, in Dearborn, Michigan. ACCESS hosts several national programs, including the National Network for Arab American Communities, the Center for Arab Narratives, the Center for Arab American Philanthropy, and the Arab American National Museum. “Randy’s extensive experience will be invaluable in advancing our critical work. Warmest congratulations to AAFSC, and we look forward to continuing to improve the lives of the communities we serve,” Freij continued.
“I have long admired the vital role AAFSC plays in empowering immigrant families throughout New York City,” said the Honorable Edward M. Gabriel, president & CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon and U.S. ambassador to Morocco from 1997 to 2001. “I know that Randy will bring the vision and experience needed to guide AAFSC at this critical moment. I look forward to working with him to help raise awareness and strengthen support for the essential work AAFSC provides across communities in New York.”
About AAFSC
For over 30 years, the Arab American Family Support Center has proudly served immigrant and refugee communities across New York. We help families navigate government benefits, learn English, prepare for the citizenship exam, secure affordable housing, and access mental health counseling. We’re also here to strengthen family bonds through parenting workshops and help young people succeed in school with academic support, social activities, and a safe space to share their experiences. We build brighter futures, one family and one story at a time.