MEET THE 2025 TEAM
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Rosie Lang: Co-Convener
Rosie Lang, MSW, LCSW (she/hers) is an experienced social work leader dedicated to social justice advocacy, capacity building, and cultivating improved quality of care in intercultural practice settings. She moved from Hong Kong to St. Louis as a child and obtained a BA in Psychology at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. Later, she returned to receive a Master's in Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. As a former Director of Social Work, overseeing anti-trafficking in persons, behavioral health, and case management services, she is experienced in program development, innovative program design, developing & mentoring emerging social work leaders, and expanding regional capacity to serve at-risk immigrant and refugee populations. She utilizes her additional experience with trauma therapy, training, and coalition building to inform strategic initiatives to support immigrant and refugee populations and the broader community
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Sarah Caldera Wimmer: Co-Convener
Sarah Caldera Wimmer, LCSW, is the Director of Emotional & Physical Wellness at LifeWise StL. Sarah has her Master in Social Work degree from Washington University in St. Louis and over 15 years of nonprofit experience specializing in working with immigrants, mental health, perinatal behavioral health, social capital and community building. She is passionate about building inclusive communities that reflect the vibrancy of those living in them. She is fluent in Spanish and has worked alongside immigrants in St. Louis using specialized interventions for emotional wellness for community, groups, and individuals. Prior to moving to St. Louis, Sarah lived and worked in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua. She received her certificate in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Components of Care. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, Protective Parenting and Motivational Interviewing. Sarah has also completed the Leadership Academy for Trauma Informed Care.
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Tola Abraham: Program Manager
Tola Abraham is the Program Manager of Immigrant Service Providers Network ISPN. Prior to joining ISPN, Tola was an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Missouri St Louis, where she served as creative writing graduate faculty member in the MFA program. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos,Nigeria and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Iowa's Iowa Writers Workshop. A community organizer, speaker and author, her work has been nominated for several national and international prizes including the Kirkus Prize for fiction, the Hurston Wright Foundation Prize and the French Prix du Premier Roman.
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Liz Bender: Education Committee Co-Chair
Liz Bender is the Family and Community Engagement Director of Early Learning Programs at Youth in Need. She earned her Master’s in Social Work from St. Louis University and has primarily worked with education and youth-focused nonprofits. She began attending ISPN meetings in 2021 and joined as a co-chair of in January of 2025.
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Anne Truran: Language Justice Co- Chair
Anne is the founder and lead consultant of Together, Language. After a fourteen-year career in public education starting at the southern border and coming north to Saint Louis, Anne helps schools and educational institutions create more welcoming and accessible environments for multilingual students and their families. She works with leadership to ensure that information and relationships are accessible across all languages -- not just on paper, but in daily practice. Anne loves to see the many unexpected benefits educators, families and students experience once schools make improvements in this area. Anne is fluent in Spanish, proficient in Portuguese, and has experience working alongside local nonprofits in Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. She is passionate about ensuring that families, no matter the language they speak, are able to participate and collaborate in their children's education, and that children are able to learn, be themselves, and be free from the burden of translating for their adult family members.
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Aya Kawasaki: Language Justice Co-Chair
Aya Kawasaki (they, them) is an EMDR-certified therapist interested in cultural sensitivity, trauma, and mindfulness. They are affiliated with Multicultural Counseling and Research Center in St. Louis City. Aya is an immigrant from Japan and has been active in Immigrant Service Provider Network since 2016 and served multiple leadership roles, including the co-convener. They currently serve as Co-chair of the Language Justice Committee. They are also involved in Casa de Salud Mental Health Collaborative and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).
ISPN is a volunteer-led network of service providers and community advocates. Applications are now open for individuals to volunteer to serve on the Executive Committee, the primary leadership body of ISPN. For more information and the application, follow the links below.
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