Former Michelle Obama Adviser to Oversee National Lutheran Refugee Service

Krishanti O’Mara Vignarajah, former adviser to Michelle Obama, will be the next president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS). The largest refugee resettlement organization of its kind, LIRS partners with organizations like LSS around the nation to support immigrants and refugees.

Vignarajah’s family fled civil war in Sri Lanka when she was just 9 months old. Her past roles also include senior adviser at the State Department under Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.

LSS Chief Family Services Officer, Maureen Warren, said that although she had not yet met Vignarajah, the new president comes with an impressive résumé. “Her background as a refugee herself could also be very valuable in her work and leadership on refugee issues,” Warren said.  “We’re looking forward to working with her.”