Loading...Carol Young, executive director of Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM), is retiring this month after 18 years of service, the last 10 years as its director. A ceremony honoring her service is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 7.
Kentucky Refugee Ministries was founded as a nonprofit refugee resettlement agency in 1990 by Donna Craig, a member of Highland Presbyterian Church. Now entering its 20th year, KRM has helped more than 5,500 refugees from over 30 countries rebuild their lives here in Kentucky. Forced to flee their home countries as victims of persecution and warfare, these refugees are admitted to United States on a humanitarian basis under State Department sponsorship.
KRM is an affiliate of Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries. Through its main office in Louisville and a sub-office in Lexington, the agency arranges housing, food, clothing and medical care for refugees, and provides them with case management, English classes, cultural orientation, and job placement services. KRM also offers programs for youth and elderly refugees, as well as citizenship and immigration legal services.
Carol Young joined KRM in 1992 as a caseworker and became executive director in 1999. Thanks to her leadership and advocacy, KRM has built a strong network of church, social service, public and philanthropic partners to increase the support available to refugee families arriving in Louisville.
Under her direction, KRM has maintained its strong focus on promoting refugee employment and self-sufficiency. At the same time, Young has used her leadership position to increase KRM’s service capacity in areas of special concern to her. These include providing extensive school support, mentoring and arts programming for school-age refugee children, and professional medical case management for refugees with special medical needs and disabilities. She has also personally worked to find career and academic opportunities for many talented refugees in the belief that our community can benefit from their education, professional experience and work ethic.
Within the agency, Young has long been lauded for her upbeat, energetic management style, her acumen at hiring a talented, diverse staff, and her support of younger employees and interns. Nationally, both Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries have recognized KRM as a leading affiliate for its comprehensive services, strong community partnerships and innovative approach to meeting client needs.
With her optimism and dynamic forward-looking vision, Young has led KRM through a decade of transformative growth, while at the same time maintaining a warm personal touch with refugees and community partners alike.
KRM’s assistant director, Elizabeth Kaznak, will succeed Young.
