Hilda Sarkisians promoted, Troy Elder departs IRIS

IRIS has named Hilda Sarkisians as Director of Operations effective April 1. We thank Troy Elder – who is taking a new position at a leading nonprofit immigration justice organization in Miami – for his service as Executive Director.

Having joined IRIS as refugee employment supervisor in 2013, Sarkisians brings longstanding experience to IRIS’s principal leadership role, succeeding Elder, a veteran immigration attorney who has led the agency since September 2022. Sarkisians’ new position consolidates executive functions, and the staffing changes occur amid reduced federal funding for immigration services.     

Sarkisians began working with refugees in 2001 as a case manager at the Armenian Evangelical Social Service Center. She was promoted several times before moving to a Department of Mental Health program in 2011. Her vast experience and expertise became invaluable to IRIS where she was promoted to the post of reception and placement supervisor during President Trump’s first term. With her dedication, IRIS pivoted to legal services and maintained a base staff of four employees.

Sarkisians’ journey reflects those of many of IRIS clients. “I left Iran in 1999 with my two daughters,” she recounts. "The journey was hard and stressful, especially as a woman who had never traveled anywhere outside of the country. I had language problems, cultural adjustment, and two young kids to take care of. I left Iran because I was being discriminated against not only for being a woman but for my religion. I did not want my kids to grow up in a country with all the discrimination and lack of freedom. We are happy and grateful for all the opportunities we have here with our hard work and dedication.”

2025 marks 20 years since IRIS opened its doors to helping refugees and immigrants in Los Angeles. It also marks a significant change for people being forcibly displaced who seek refuge in the United States. As of January, all refugee arrivals have been canceled by the U.S. Department of State, all funding for resettlement and case management for refugees has been withdrawn, and federal policy regarding immigrants is now focusing on detention and deportation.  

With the majority of IRIS’ funding coming from federal sources, the government’s actions to sever contracts with refugee resettlement agencies has been devasting. Peer agencies have had to undergo major staff reductions or simply close all together.  

Thanks to the support of the IRIS Emergency Fund, in additional to newly available State funding for special populations of refugees, IRIS is fighting to remain a valuable resource for immigrants in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, IRIS was not immune to staff hours reductions and layoffs. Most notably is the exit of Elder as the Executive Director. Elder will continue to support IRIS as a volunteer in a strategic advisory capacity.

Of Sarkisians, Elder notes: “From the streets of Tehran to her recent advocacy in Sacramento and Washington, Hilda embodies the tenacity of IRIS’s refugee clients, whom she has so ably served for more than a decade. At this challenging time, I can think of no better person to lead IRIS into its exciting next chapter.”

Please join us in congratulating Hilda in her new leadership role!