"I believe that human resilience knows no limits and knowledge gives us the ability to survive and thrive in the world."
-Slobodanka Hodzic, Program Director
-Slobodanka Hodzic, Program Director
Leadership
Slobodanka Hodzic
Program Director
Slobodanka leads the agency to fulfill our mission and vision of supporting new Americans in Idaho. She is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and she came to the U.S. as a refugee in September of 1996. Slobodanka has been with the agency for more than twenty years. She started her career with the agency in 2001 and has worked almost every position here: as case manager, cash assistance coordinator, immigration specialist, and assistant director. Slobodanka moved into the position of director in 2017. In her spare time, Slobodanka loves to read, watch PBS and spend time with her family and cute rat terrier/pug Kyle.
Case Management
Breanne Fraley
Breanne was born in southern California and has lived in Colorado, Kansas, Washington, Albania, and now Idaho. She has a BA in psychology and sociology, and a master's degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages (MA-TESOL). Before joining the Agency as a case manager in 2019, she taught ESL for 14 years to adult immigrants and refugees at the community college level. Breanne is passionate about supporting, educating, and empowering refugees to live successfully in the Boise community. Breanne enjoys reading, yoga, baking, and spending time with her family traveling and exploring new places.
Brenda Rangel
Brenda joined the agency in July 2021 after earning her master’s in Social Work the spring prior. She is passionate about working with refugees, immigrants and farm workers. Previously, she worked with the aforementioned populations in a multitude of settings including child welfare, higher education and developmental disability services. She is inspired and motivated by social workers and other human service providers, who have had a calling to help those in need and provide individuals the opportunity to be their best selves. During her free time, Brenda enjoys playing soccer, listening to music and painting.
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Alla Aguilar
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Employment Services and Cash Assistance
Bitentu Tshibwabwa
Bitentu has been working at ANA for 12 years and finds joy working at ANA simply because he would like to serve his fellow refugees and uplift their spirits. He wants to help them discover new horizons and see the light at the end of the tunnel. He studied English Language and Literature, Latin and Philosophy (Lubumbashi University), and Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations (BA) Boise State University, “Mutatis Mutandis". In his free time, Bitentu likes listening to classic music, walking, and following international current affairs. Fun fact: Tshibwabwa means pumpkin leaves!
Jan Salehi
Jan was originally born in Afghanistan but grew up living in Pakistan. While in Pakistan, he went to school to learn about hardware engineering. He moved back to Afghanistan and worked with the United Nations World Food Program as a Field Monitor and IT Assistant. He arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 2018 and became a Case Manager a the Agency in 2019. For fun, Jan loves to play his favorite game Cricket! It was his dream to be a professional cricket player, but his refugee status in Pakistan prevented him from achieving this dream. Jan loves to spend time outside, whether its camping, hiking, or his favorite Idaho discovery: fishing!
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Rosette Yanda
Rose is originally from Democratic Republic of Congo and has lived in the US for about a decade. She always wanted to be a doctor but quickly discovered she wasn't fond of blood. Her other passion was social services so, she pursued it. She graduated with a B.A. in social work from Boise State University in 2020. As challenging as this work can be, she believes letting people know that they are not alone is the most important thing. For fun, Rose is learning to roller skate, and it's a work in progress. She believes Ed Sheeran is the best singer and Titanic and Black Panthers are the best movies ever!
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Immigration Services
Yasmin Aguilar
Yasmin handles client immigration practices and oversees their outcomes. Originally born in Afghanistan, Yasmin has traveled all over the world. She earned a B.S. in Medicine in the Czech Republic, and M.D. Residency in Kabul, Afghanistan. After training medical staff at Mercy Corps International in Pakistan on health, diversity, and inclusion topics, Yasmin came to the United States and joined Agency for New Americans as a case manager in 2000. She briefly left the agency in 2020 but returned after she realized her new job did not feel like home. Yasmin loves to spend time with her husband, travel, and cook the most delicious food!
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Hashmat Nabeel
Hashmat works on Afghan Placement & Assistance. Handling asylum cases for Afghan clients. He was born and raised in Afghanistan. He went to Beijing, China to attend the University of International Business & Economics. After his time in Beijing, he moved to Kabul to work in the Citizen Charter National Priority Program in the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development. He believes that many countries have immensely benefited from immigrants’ talent and contributions for enriching and strengthening the foundations of governments around the world. He’s an avid reader of books, enjoys spending time in nature – likes jogging and hikes.
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Samuel Crawford
Sam grew up in Boise, Idaho and has lived in Washington, Louisiana, and Montana since. He graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and a B.A. in Visual Arts. After spending a decade away from Idaho, he is very happy to be back in his hometown supporting aspects of diversity and livability that make the community stronger. Sam is a believer in, and advocate for, fair housing for all of our community members, and he values the opportunity to aid new residents' pathway to self-sufficiency. While his work focuses on the necessity of a safe and affordable place to live, Sam likes to spend his free time outdoors hiking, camping, and exploring the many natural wonders Idaho has to offer.
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Lia Harelson
Lia is excited to join the housing specialist team where she will focus on finding temporary housing for clients. She is passionate about creating positive change in the Treasure Valley through community collaboration and connecting the global with the local. Lia graduated from Boise State University with a B.A. in Global Studies and Spanish, as well as a minor in Latin American Studies. She grew up in southeastern Idaho. In her free time, Lia enjoys going on walks on the greenbelt, reading, watching movies, and skiing in the winter.
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Integrations and Outreach Services
Jodi Larson-Farrow
Jodi oversees cultural orientations and integrations services for new Americans. Jodi was born in Emmett, Idaho where she enjoyed being raised on a farm. She started working at ANA in December of 2009, and loves providing educational support to newcomers through Youth Programming, Job Readiness Classes, Cultural Orientation Sessions, Women’s Empowerment Groups and Men’s Human Rights Discussions. Jodi has a passion for working with refugees and believes that everyone has the right to live in peace and in safety. Jodi is married with one son and three Grandchildren; two girls and a boy who are the center of her world. Jodi also has two Boxer boys who rule the roost!
Olivia Wargo
Olivia builds community connections and spreads awareness of refugee resettlement in Idaho, plans and executes events, as well as manages all volunteer coordination. She graduated from Boise State University with a B.A. in Global Studies and an MPA emphasizing in nonprofit management. Olivia believes that community collaboration is the most powerful way to enact change. She is inspired by the influence knowledge can have on individuals to become changemakers in their communities. Olivia was born and raised in Idaho. She loves to ski in the winter, kayak in the summer, play roller derby year 'round and spend as much time as she can with her orange tabby George, her Husky/Lab mix Charles, and her Aussie/German Shephard Aries!
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Brandee Robles
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