Alexa Arena joined NAAM in July 2021 as an Employment Specialist for the Employment Support Services Program (ESSP). She is leading the efforts to connect our clients with quality employment and relevant resources in the community. She supports clients in removing all barriers to employment, from finding childcare to securing stable housing to accessing training and certifications for expanded job prospects. This holistic case management approach provides clients with a stable foundation, the key to successful job placement and retention.

Prior to NAAM Alexa worked on the overseas side of the refugee resettlement system, processing and preparing refugees abroad for life in the USA and Canada. In her previous role at the Resettlement Support Center Austria, she conducted cultural orientation trainings in Tel Aviv for United States Refugee Admission Program (USRAP) participants. As a Senior Resettlement/Protection Assistant at UNHCR Israel, Alexa provided trauma-informed case management to refugee applicants. Alexa earned a B.A. in International Affairs and Cultural Anthropology from Northeastern University, and a M.A. in Global Migration and Policy from Tel Aviv University. With such distinctive experience, Alexa contributes a wealth of knowledge and deep understanding of immigrants’ needs and struggles to NAAM’s work.