RICHMOND, Virginia – ReEstablish Richmond, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 to connect refugees and immigrants with the resources needed to establish roots, build community, and achieve self-sufficiency, is proud to announce the adoption of a Co-Executive Director leadership model. The organization has named Helen Rai as Co-Executive Director alongside longtime Executive Director Kate Ayers.

The transition reflects ReEstablish Richmond's commitment to shared leadership, community wisdom, and building organizational systems that align with its values of dignity, equity, trust, and belonging.

Helen Rai's journey with ReEstablish Richmond began in the organization's early years as a social work intern. After earning her Master of Social Work degree, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member before joining the staff full-time. Most recently, Helen served as Director of Client Engagement since 2022, helping develop the values, processes, and infrastructure that support the organization's client engagement programs, which serve approximately 400 refugees and immigrants each year.

Born in Nepal, Rai immigrated to Richmond in 2005 and has dedicated her career to building relationships and elevating the issues refugee and immigrant communities face. She brings both extensive programmatic expertise and lived experience to her new role.

"I am honored to step into this role alongside Kate and help shape the future of an organization that has been such an important part of my own journey,” said Rai. “We believe that if we want to create a welcoming and equitable community for newcomers and immigrants, we must include people we are providing services to in the process of decision-making. This means, we also need to build a workplace where these perspectives are represented and people can thrive, rest, and bring their full selves to the work."

For more than a decade, Ayers has helped guide ReEstablish Richmond through significant growth, expanding services and opportunities for refugees and immigrants across the region. Together, Ayers and Rai recently completed a year-long fellowship through Enterprising Ventures of Color's Leadership Immersion program, an initiative focused on transformational leadership, collective power-building, and advancing equitable leadership practices. Their experience in the fellowship helped inspire the organization's move toward a co-leadership structure.

"In a system that often only listens to people in executive-level positions, Helen's voice needs to be heard," said Ayers. "Her long-standing contributions to this organization, combined with her lived immigration experience and deep understanding of our community, make it essential that she is at the tables where influence and change are possible. This transition reflects our belief that organizations are healthier, more resilient, and more accountable when leadership is collaborative rather than concentrated in a single individual."

By elevating a leader with lived immigration experience and pairing her leadership with that of a seasoned nonprofit executive, ReEstablish Richmond hopes to model a future in which nonprofit leadership is both collaborative and reflective of the communities organizations serve.

The co-leadership model is part of a broader effort to ensure that ReEstablish Richmond's internal practices reflect the same values it advances through its mission. In the last year, the organization has worked to flatten decision-making structures, expand opportunities for staff leadership, and create multiple pathways for feedback and shared accountability.

In addition to paying a living wage, the organization has implemented several new people-centered workplace initiatives, including a paid sabbatical program, unlimited paid sick leave, and expanded measures to promote employee stability and well-being. The organization views these efforts as part of a long-term commitment to building a more participatory, sustainable, and values-driven workplace.

These organizational shifts are meant to inspire our partners and the larger Richmond community toward more creative and sustainable non-profit operational methods to effectively tackle the challenges of our region.

"Our mission has always been about helping people build belonging and opportunity in a new community," said Ayers. "This new chapter is about ensuring that our leadership and organizational culture reflect those same aspirations."

About ReEstablish Richmond

Founded in 2010, ReEstablish Richmond supports refugees and immigrants by connecting them to resources, opportunities, and relationships that help them establish roots, build community, and achieve self-sufficiency. Through direct services, community partnerships, and advocacy, ReEstablish Richmond supports newcomers as they navigate life in the Richmond region and work toward long-term success.

ReEstablish Richmond Adopts Co-Executive Director Leadership Model, Names Helen Rai as Co-Executive Director