Leadership & Board

AYCO has been utilizing grass-roots, strengths-based approaches to engage community members from underrepresented, culturally specific populations since 2009. While AYCO does benefit from the involvement of several interns from Portland State University and staff members who aren’t from the African immigrant and refugee population, most of AYCO’s volunteer and staff are from the very population we serve. AYCO staff and volunteers have experienced first-hand the challenge of family members adjusting differently to their new lives in the U.S. Our constituents are welcomed into a culturally and linguistically familiar environment at AYCO, where dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers and staff address the many gaps and challenges to family adaptation, that too often leave new immigrants feeling overwhelmed and marginalized.

AYCO Leadership

Jamal Dar Founder & Executive Director

jamal@aycoworld.org

Read Full Bio

Jamal is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Youth & Community Organization (AYCO) globally both the US and East Africa as an NGO, an organization that has contributed more than 20,000 hours of volunteer hours to the community with zero paid staff for seven years. Dar has a BA Bachelor of Business administration from Portland State University. AYCO empowers newcomers in the Metro area to connect with service providers and emphasizes community-based services and creating leadership through mentoring and athletic development. Jamal brought to our state his community and solutions-oriented approach to solving complex challenges. Jamal also is a product design innovation manager for over 22 years at Nike Inc.

Askina Sharif Program Director

bakri@aycoworld.org

Read Full Bio

My name is Askina Sharif (BAKRI) I am team-oriented healthcare management professional with 5+ years in healthcare administration, seeking to use my medical knowledge and leadership skills to guide a team of managers and administrative staff.

I am driven and experienced healthcare manager, looking to grow African Youth and Community Organization using effective leadership skills and efficient staffing techniques. As a Program Director I bring a great deal of knowledge and skills including but not limited to:

Abdirahman Abdirahman Program & Partnership Development Manager

abdirahman@aycoworld.org

Read Full Bio

Abdirahman is our program and partnership development manager. He studied business administration at Portland State University. He has 2 years of experience in leading teams, helping them grow, and maintaining full control over their business and their performance at the same time. He has been a volunteer and a participant of AYCO from the early days and now he looks to utilize his skills to develop and expand the Organization.

Angelica Liliana Development Manager

Angelica@aycoworld.org

Read Full Bio

Angelica is AYCO’s Development Manager. She has a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Lewis & Clark College and comes to AYCO with over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Angelica is honored and excited to use her experience in grant-writing, strategic planning, developing and delivering programs, etc. to help AYCO continue to grow and serve the East African immigrant and refugee community.

Ahmed Muhumed Community Economic Development Manager

ahmedm@aycoworld.org

Read Full Bio

My name is Ahmed Muhumed and I am the Community Economic Development (CED) Manager at AYCO. My role, as the face of the CED program, is to empower and educate refugees by providing sustainable, diverse, economic support and offering information and resources. In doing so, I ensure the CED department fosters a culture of enterprise and innovation among community members to give them equitable access to the competitive local economy. I am driven to give the community a platform to identify and initiate their own solutions to economic, social, and environmental issues to build health, take deliberate actions to influence the local economy, and improve overall quality of life.

I have a Master’s in International Affairs from Florida State University, which I attended on a full-ride athletic Track & Field scholarship. In my studies, I learned a lot about development from the individualistic level to the community level, to the regional and international levels. While implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, I was able to publish research work on Educational disparities between refugees and local communities as well as the lack of cohesion that can be born out of that. It was issued in an International level journal called the Journal of International Humanitarian Action and my article titled “Educational inequality in the Kebribeyah Somali refugee camp in Ethiopia: an Autoethnography” can be found here.

AYCO Board of Directors

Matthew Goldman Board Chair

Read Full Bio

Matt is an attorney located in Tigard, Oregon whose areas of practice include business law, estate planning & probate, and real property matters in Oregon and Washington. A Florida native, Matt received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University where he majored in sports management and minored in business then moved to Portland to attend Lewis & Clark Law School. Matt is highly devoted to serving the local community both inside and outside the legal system such as promoting interfaith unity, mentoring teens & young adults, and helping others to understand their legal rights in his quest to rack up some good deeds and help make the world a better place.

E-mail: matt@oswegobusinesslaw.com
Website: www.oswegobusinesslaw.com

Nimo Ali Board Treasurer

Read Full Bio

I have devoted myself to community support programs particularly for immigrants and refugees while working in different organizations such as World Relief Organization, Catholic Charity and Multnomah County. I am currently working with IRCO as a Community Health Worker. Born in Somalia and raised in a refugee camp in Northern Kenya, I am passionate about supporting and advocating for underserved communities with a view to changing their lives for the better. My educational background includes Youth Behavioral Health, Mental Health, Social Service and Addiction Counseling, and Community Health with a focus on Child, Youth and Family Studies.

Sunshine Dixon Board Secretary

Read Full Bio

Sunshine Dixon is a resourceful and dedicated professional with extensive experience in community engagement and program coordination. She is a motivational leader who can recognize and cultivate the potential in others, and has demonstrated success increasing project revenue, engaging stakeholders, and empowering communities. She has planned, organized, and coordinated multiple major events, including special events, meetings, and conferences. She is a conversation starter and is well known for making meaningful connections in the community as well as presenting creative solutions and alternatives to complex challenges.

Mahad Ahmed Community Outreach

Read Full Bio

Marshawna Williams Board Member

Read Full Bio

Marshawna was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. Marshawna’s background is in nonprofit management, high education, and adult learning. She graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and completed her Master's of Science in Education, Leadership, and Policy with a focus on training and development from Portland State University. She has over seven years of board leadership with various organizations, focused on racial equity and community sustainability. For the past several years in nonprofit management, Marshawna has focused on assisting organizations to evolve in equity in partnership with sustainability through facilitation, adult education, and project management. Marshawna is currently the Chief Operations Officer with Brown Hope and serves as a board member at large for Imagine Black as well as AYCO.

Shawn Rashid Board Member

Read Full Bio

My name is Shawn Rashid. I was born in Northern Iraq "Kurdistan". I speak Kurdish, Arabic and English. I used to work with different nonprofit organizations in Jordan, Amman. I used to work at UPF, WFWP and Care organizations as a case worker, and director assistant for three years. In 2013 I emigrated to the USA. In the same year I started working for Nike, and started studying English as a second language at PCC. I studied Mechanical Engineering Technology at PCC and OIT. I played Soccer and woodworking as a hobby. I'm so happy to be part of the AYCO program, and help others.

Abubakar Ibrahim Board Member

Read Full Bio

I was born and grew up in Sudan. I come from a larger family and am always inspired by my family's resilience, motivation and commitment. After I finished college, I have continued dreaming big and maintaining my family vision. As a young age I graduated from an out-mechanic school and started my own company. My company is called Portland Auto Services and I have been running my own business for over 20 years. I currently have 8 staff members and I’m happily married with 5 children. I grew up in the state and having a mentor and a role model is something I wasn’t able to get but this opportunity to serve the board of aycoworld.org. My focus is small business and community economic vision and stable community.

Raife Neuman Legal Counsel

Read Full Bio

I helped co-found AYCO and obtain 501(c)3 status for the organization. I help maintain AYCO's compliance with government agencies and taxing authorities. As a member of the Oregon State Bar, I am certified to practice in the Oregon Federal District Court. I am the current co-chair of the OSB New Lawyer Division Pro Bono Subcommittee, former chair of the Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Service to the Public Committee, and member of Portland City Club.

Leadership & Board

AYCO Leadership

Jamal Dar Founder & Executive Director

Askina Sharif Program Director

Abdirahman Abdirahman Program & Partnership Development Manager

Angelica Liliana Development Manager

Ahmed Muhumed Community Economic Development Manager

AYCO Board of Directors

Matthew Goldman Board Chair

Nimo Ali Board Treasurer

Sunshine Dixon Board Secretary

Mahad Ahmed Community Outreach

Marshawna Williams Board Member

Shawn Rashid Board Member

Abubakar Ibrahim Board Member

Raife Neuman Legal Counsel

Sign Up for Email News:

CONNECT WITH US

LATEST INSTAGRAM

ayco.world