Paul Bass File Photo
IRIS's Chris George (at right in photo) with Gov. Ned Lamont and state housing chief Seila Mosquera-Bruno at 2021 Scranton Street event highlighting need for apartments for Afghan refugees.
After 18 years of making New Haven a national leader in refugee resettlement, Chris George is ready to hand over the reins.
George, who is 69, announced Tuesday that he plans to retire by year’s end as executive director of New Haven’s IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services).
George took over the organization in 2005 when it operated out of a small Wooster Square office on a $500,000 annual budget with eight staffers helping 150 new arrivals settle into town each year.
He’s leaving behind a $12 million-a-year organization with 138 staffers working out of an 8,000 square-foot Goatville office plus a Hartford outpost and thousands of volunteers to help resettle 1,000 people per year. IRIS became one of the nation’s most trusted and capable resettlement agencies; the U.S. State Department has tapped the group to help roll out a national “Welcome Corps” program. (Click here to read about that.)
George plans to stay until IRIS finds his successor. He’s also helping look for a 30,000-or-so square-foot new home for the organization, perhaps in a former school building.
Reached for comment Tuesday, George reflected on the changes he has seen during his 18 years helming IRIS.
“Judging from the people of Connecticut, I am delighted to see there’s much more sympathy and understanding for undocumented immigrants,” he said. “The people of Connecticut showed that volunteers working together with some training can do a great job of resettling refugees. Now it is happening on a national level.”
George’s post-IRIS plans include more intergenerational family time, part-time assistance to Welcome Corps, and “strengthening our democracy by working on voter registration and voter turnout.”
Click on the video to watch IRIS’s Chris George discuss his work during a recent (March) episode of WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven.” Click here to subscribe to“Dateline New Haven” and here to subscribe to other WNHH FM podcasts.
What an amazing man. Thank you Chris, for your years of service. Thank you for demonstrating such incredible kindness and for making sure such vulnerable members of our community felt safe.
My first involvement with IRIS was as a Police Officer. I was asked to "speak" with folks, many of whom traveled here from countries where the mere sight of a cop would instill fear. With about a dozen immigrants and refugees, and almost as many interpreters, crammed into a room, the Q&A commenced. It was slow going as everything said had to be translated into several languages, but we got through it and I remember seeing many more smiles on faces that weren't smiling when I walked in. I Thank IRIS and Chris for that wonderful opportunity. Enjoy your well deserved retirement.