Mary Royers

Executive Board Member 

Mary Royers is the education coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Omaha. She has been in education for 13 years, teaching English to refugees and immigrants, designing curriculum for Omaha Public Schools and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and coaching teachers across the country to make their classes more accessible for English learners. She also consults with other local non-profits part time in advocacy spaces for making events and programs more appropriate for linguistically and culturally diverse attendants. Mary has a masters degree in Bilingual Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and is a fierce advocate of preserving and celebrating the cultures of immigrant and refugee families as they begin their new lives in the United States. 

Maisam Farzam

Maisam Farzam

Developmental Disability Program Manager

Ibadullah Maiwand 

Ibadullah Maiwand 

Administrative & Communication Coordinator

Asia Mohammadi 

Asia Mohammadi 

Case Manager & Administrative Assistance 

Elizabeth Sawhney

Executive Board Chair

Mohammad Sahil

Founder & Executive Director

Mohammad Sahil is a highly experienced combat interpreter/translator who served with the US military for nearly a decade in Afghanistan. He, along with his wife, immigrated to the United States through the Special Immigration Visa(SIV) program and settled initially in Albany, New York. After a year, they made the decision to relocate to Omaha, Nebraska.

Before joining Lutheran Family Services as an AmeriCorps volunteer, Mohammad worked and gained valuable skills while working at Walmart and First Data. With almost 9 years of experience working with refugee and immigrant populations, Mohammad has had various roles, including post 90-day case management and contributing to educational programming. Currently, he is pursuing a degree in human services and is dedicated to expanding his knowledge in this field.

In addition to his work with Omaha Public School as a social worker and interpreter/translator, Mohammad's outstanding contributions were recognized when he was awarded the 2021 Excellent Service Award by OPS. His passion for serving the community is evident as he actively participates as the Vice Chair for the Omaha Refugee Taskforce (ORTF). Additionally, he serves on the Great Plains IDeA-CTR Community Advisory Board (CAB), where he has the opportunity to contribute to valuable decision-making processes.

Overall, Mohammad Sahil is a dedicated and highly accomplished individual who continues to make a significant impact in his community through his extensive experience and active involvement in various organizations. He is currently running the NACC management affairs. 

Manizha Ahmadi

Nebraska Afghan Community Center Executive Board Vice Chair 

Manizha Ahmadi is from Afghanistan and speaks Persian, Pashto and English. Manizha graduated from the faculty of Public Policy and Administration in Afghanistan. Before coming to the US, Manizha worked as a reporter and as a trainer and assistant for Peace Building and Conflict Resolution Management at GIZ-Zfd. Manizha is passionate about community service and helping others. 

Tin Nguyen

Nebraska Afghan Community Center Executive Board Treasurer 

Tin Nguyen is a Senior Research Associate in the Management Department of the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Business and at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education (NCITE) Center. As a Penn State and Creighton University alum, he has assisted numerous community-level efforts in Pennsylvania and Nebraska.

Amanda Mclaughline

Nebraska Afghan Community Center Executive Board  Member