Jamia Jowers

President of the Board of Directors

Jamia Jowers  is the President of the Board of Directors at the Chicago Refugee Coalition. She previously served as the Director of International Policy and Development and the Director of the Obama Foundation Scholars program at the Harris School of Public Policy at the  University of Chicago. With over 10 years of experience in international affairs, she designs  strategies and programing for rising global leaders to continue their service, build on their  expertise, innovate, and elevate creating a path toward finding the solutions to the most pressing  challenges in their communities. 

She previously served as the Associate Director of Student Recruitment & Global Outreach where  she contributed to engagement efforts, strategic development, and recruiting and outreach across  public policy programs with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jamia also worked for the  Office of Academic Leadership, Advancement, and Diversity under the Provost where she  fostered a diverse and inclusive campus community through initiatives aimed at underrepresented  minorities. Prior to that post, Jamia was a staffer with the National Security Council (NSC -African  Affairs) at the White House and spent two years in the  Multilateral Affairs office advocating for human rights and U.N. reform. In her position with the African Affairs Directorate, Jamia was instrumental in the U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit which  focused on trade, investment, and security on the continent. While in the Multilateral Affairs  office, she contributed to the Atrocity Prevention Board, the U.S. National Action Plan on  Women, Peace, and Security, and the Presidential Memorandum on International Initiatives to  Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQ Persons. Before joining the NSC, Jamia also served in the  White House as the director of student correspondence. She received her B.A. in Political Science  from the University of Illinois and her M.A. in International Relations from Salve Regina  University.