Meet Renee Marcoulier

Program Director, Tucson Refugee Office

Tucson-Renee Marcoulier is the new program director of the Tucson Refugee Office, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW). She comes to our agency with an impressive resume. It speaks of a breadth of experience and intellectual passion in the service of those in the world who do not have a voice.

She holds dual Masters Degree from Tulane University: Master of Public Health, International Health and Development, and Master of Social Work, Clinical, Community and Administration. She left her position as a human rights advocate for the State of Arizona's Department of Health services, Division of Behavioral Health to assume her position in LSS-SW.

She has seen human suffering first hand and has worked to alleviate that suffering. She has volunteered at Mother Theresa's Village, "Nirmal Hriday Home for the Dying Destitute", in Delhi, India. She has been to Dharamsala, India working with Tibetan refugees to assess the effectiveness of international humanitarian aid as part of her master's thesis. She saw the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, working to break down barriers to both housing and sound mental health for the homeless.

Why did you want to work for LSS-SW?

Renee: "I'm very excited to be a part of LSS-SW and to have this opportunity. I've had a broad range of experiences that I was looking to incorporate into one position and feel so fortunate to have found this one. It's also very significant to me that LSS-SW has a comprehensive view of resettlement and doesn't focus on one niche, instead seeking to provide services for refugee needs as a whole. This is a place where I feel I can grow and I am excited to do so with LSS-SW in the future."

Your undergraduate degree is in Business Management from Oregon State University. How did you become a Drug and Mental Health Court Coordinator, and then enter into graduate work focused on serving those in our country and abroad?

Renee: "As an undergraduate, I chose to focus on a 'practical' degree, one that was not necessarily my passion. That is when I began working at a local circuit court in a position that I was fortunate to be able to tailor to my interests. I thought about law school to address public policy concerns and then began researching my interests more. My research led me to social work, something that I didn't have a good understanding of previously. My conversations with other social workers and an LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) in my office, solidified my desire to embark on more schooling.

"After some deliberation, I chose to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana due to its broad perspective and variety of training experiences in social work. Unfortunately, my time there was interrupted after Hurricane Katrina. The first semester after returning to New Orleans, I quickly realized that I was also interested in international health. I applied for my MPH (Master of Public Health) and was admitted the following semester. Although there was no international social work certificate, I was also able to adapt the social work curriculum to my interests by examining international issues and ultimately incorporated this focus into my thesis. The combined degrees allowed me to integrate experience in several areas such as nutrition, complex emergencies, disaster response, and psycho-social programs."

How do you think your previous education and experience will help you lead your office and program?

Renee: "The benefit of having a broad background is that it can lend itself to several areas. My business management degree will certainly be useful as will my work with Tibetan refugees. My educational and practical experiences have provided a sound base for my current interests and position. For example, studies focused on food security research and disaster response as well as program monitoring and evaluation will be very beneficial to my responsibilities at LSS-SW, and ultimately understanding the contexts from which refugees come from. I'm looking forward to working with the staff here, my colleagues in the other agencies, and the broader refugee network in Tucson."

What is your personal philosophy, key value, or personal goal?

Renee: "Specific to refugee resettlement, I feel very strongly that it is important that we do all we can to encourage preservation of cultural identity and values although also helping clients to adjust to a new setting. I'm interested to see how we, as resettlement providers, can support our clients in developing a bi-cultural identity.

More generally, I strongly believe in global interdependence and empathy. Namely, that the suffering of one should affect the conscience of another, that we need one another, and that our actions or inactions have an impact on other people. In this country especially, focusing on our world and on our own needs can be so easy while not being aware of what might be happening down the street or in other parts of the world. To quote John Donne, I believe that we are not isolated individuals, but rather a 'part of the whole.'"

For more information about LSS-SW refugee services please call LSS-SW Multi-Cultural Services : 602-248-4400(Phoenix) or 520-721-4444 (Tucson).