MCC Welcomes a new Director of Refugee and Immigration Services!
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2025
MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rev. Jerad Morey
Director of Strategic Relationships
Minnesota Council of Churches
(612) 230-3211
MCC Announces new Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services
Kathleen Motzenbecker comes with significant operational and international experience and a passion for refugee populations in Minnesota.
[Minneapolis, Minn] – “We are excited to announce we have hired MCC’s next Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services,” said Elder Suzanne P. Kelly, Minnesota Council of Churches’ CEO. “Kathleen Motzenbecker is a dedicated advocate for newcomers.”
During Operation Allies Welcome Minnesota, Kathleen Motzenbecker was part of efforts to welcome over 1,300 vulnerable Afghans, including those who had worked alongside the U.S. government, to our state. She gained experience in Reception & Placement at Lutheran Social Services and worked as Director of U.S. Partnerships at ALIGHT before joining MCC.
Kathleen’s international experience includes serving as Director of the Minnesota Global Trade Office for the Governor Mark Dayton administration and serving as an international elections observer with the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Kathleen is a Lay Associate with the Dominicans Catholic Sisters of Sinsinawa and has previously been recognized as a “Top 50 Women in Business” by the Minneapolis Business Journal and a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum (Davos).
“I have appreciated getting to know MCC’s dedicated and hard-working staff,” said Kathleen, “and am excited about the ways we can continue to build the common good in Minnesota – particularly on behalf of refugees and immigrants.”
About Minnesota Council of Churches
Representing 27 member judicatories and about 1,000,000 Christians, the Minnesota Council of Churches’ mission is to manifest unity in the church and to build the common good in the world. The Minnesota Council of Churches programs include Refugee Services, Truth & Reparations, MCC Respectful ConversationsTM , Interfaith Relationships and the Minnesota Church Center. www.mnchurches.org
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