Dr. Veronica Crosbie — Chairperson

Dr. Veronica Crosbie was appointed the Chair of POSI early in 2022. As a former Assistant Professor in Migration and Intercultural Studies in DCU and outgoing Chair of the MA Refugee Integration, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. Veronica was a key player in establishing DCU as the first University of Sanctuary in Ireland in 2016 and was the founding Chair of the University of Sanctuary Ireland (UoSI) network. She has conducted Participatory Research projects on refugee integration and has supervised and examined PhD theses in related areas. 

Veronica contributes to refugee integration at a local level, through her leadership initiatives including establishing the Phibsboro Community Sponsorship and Phibsboro For All programmes, both inclusive community led initiatives to welcome people with migrant and refugee backgrounds  into the neighbourhood. Veronica is an able and vocal advocate for refugee rights in Ireland and beyond.

David O’Flynn — Vice-Chair

David O’Flynn is a management accountant who has worked mainly in the public and commercial semi-state sectors in Ireland.  He is currently the Registrar and Chief Officer of the Dental Council Ireland, which is the regulatory agency for the dental profession in Ireland. He is responsible for managing the operations of the Council to ensure that it meets its obligations to protect the public and to manage its operations in line with good corporate governance procedures.

He joined the board to try to make a positive contribution to the important work that Places of Sanctuary does in supporting refugees in Ireland.  This work is especially important in what is becoming a harsher climate for immigrants and refugees in Ireland.  He has met many refugees and through his work with the Dental Council as it established a special registration pathway for refugee dentists.  He is from Dublin.

Dr Martin Meagher — Financial Director

Martin is a Chartered Accountant and educationalist with wide experience of working in business and in higher education. He is former Head of Business in SETU where he worked for 34 years. During this time, he initiated the Student Volunteer Programme and promoted the University of Sanctuary project.

Over a number of years, Martin also worked in East  Africa, initially as a Hospital Manager and subsequently as an Accountant/ Auditor of various projects in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

He has extensive involvement in the NGO and voluntary sectors at local and national level. He has acted as Chairperson, Treasurer, Chair of Finance and Risk Sub – Committees and board member on a range of boards including; Trocaire, St Catherine’s Community Centre Carlow, Co. Carlow Development Partnership, Carlow Chamber of Commerce. He has held key roles in the third level GAA sector.

Tonye Benson Olatunde — Board Member

Tonye believes that the global-scale disruptions caused by greed, wars, and environmental misuse have resulted in massive dislocation and relocation of people across the world and therefore, there is a great need to focus on achieving harmony in diversity in societies. She posits that the need to respect diversity and inclusion and promote equality, social justice, and human rights, has never been more exigent and that achieving this needs an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. She believes that the work Places of Sanctuary do in supporting displaced people is very important for displaced people and asylum seekers whom she identifies with and is committed to supporting.

Tonye is a Senior University Tutor, lecturing and coordinating programmes in the Department of Applied Social Studies, at Maynooth University where she has worked since 2013.

Tonye is committed to social justice, human rights, and equality, and she is passionate about social change and harmony in society. Tonye brings more than 20 years of experience working with marginalised groups in Irish society as well as lived experience relevant to the work Places of Sanctuary does.

Rev Abigail Sines — Board Member

Bio- Being updated

Frances Moynihan — Board Member

Deputy Principal, Millstreet Community School

Margaret Birchall — Board Member

Senior Executive Librarian, Wicklow County Council

Sallie Ennis– Board Member

Sallie Ennis is a teacher of post primary languages, CSPE, Ethical Education and SPHE. She has held a variety of leadership roles in schools across the UK and Ireland, including Head of Department, TY and LCA Coordinator, Year Head, and Deputy Principal.

She has contributed to numerous committees and initiatives promoting student engagement and activism, such as Student Council, Green Schools, and the Schools’ Climate Action Network (SCAN), with which she supported students nationally during the 2019–2020 climate strikes. From 2019 to 2021, she served on the teacher advisory group of WorldWise Global Schools.

Her work with Schools of Sanctuary began in 2020 when Stepaside ETSS embarked on becoming one of Dublin’s first recognised Schools of Sanctuary. She also chaired the Schools of Sanctuary steering group until 2022.

She is currently on secondment with Oide, part of the Department of Education’s school support service, working with both the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and Programme Support teams to facilitate whole-school training on Senior Cycle redevelopment and Child Protection. 

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Manizha Khan– Board Member

Manizha Khan was born in Herat, Afghanistan. A child of war and conflict, she became a refugee twice in her life. She spent most of her life in Pakistan where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Political science and returned to Afghanistan where she taught English to Afghan girls and worked with various international organisations. She travelled to China to continue her dream and returned home as a qualified dentist. In Afghanistan she passed the exam to become a lecturer in a Government University and became an Associate Professor in the Dental School of Herat University. In a short period of time she was promoted to the Head of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry Department and later as Acting Dean of the Dental School. She also co-owned a private surgery with her husband.

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, she had to leave her life and find sanctuary in Ireland, where she has restarted her life as a registered dentist. She hosts a radio show called My Life in a Suitcase from Radio UCC 98.3fm and has also volunteered as a Schools of Sanctuary ambassador. She is very grateful to have found sanctuary and friendship in Ireland, a kind and compassionate country where her daughter has a chance to have a bright future. She continues to be a voice for refugees and asylum seekers and promotes peace, inclusion and respect for all through her work and radio show. She writes poetry and travels in her free time.

Dr. Jean-Pierre Eyanga Ekumeloko– Board Member

Dr. Jean-Pierre Eyanga Ekumeloko is an accomplished entrepreneur and leader in agriculture, food science, organisational leadership, and international development. He holds an MSc in Food Science from University College Dublin and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Université de Lubumbashi. Throughout his career, Dr. Eyanga has empowered individuals and organisations through strategic planning, capacity building, evidence-based research, and advocacy. With over four decades of experience, Dr. Eyanga has spearheaded major investment and scientific initiatives across Africa.

He founded Integrating Ireland, a prominent NGO that drove significant policy changes in Ireland and has directed multiple EU-funded transnational projects. His expertise extends to developing successful funding applications for various donors, and his work in project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic development is widely recognised. As the CEO of GEE Consulting Partners and a Visiting Lecturer at universities in Africa, Dr. Eyanga has a proven record of training international development officers and corporate executives, as well as consulting on national food policy.

Multilingual in English, French, Lingala, and Swahili, he has been featured in respected publications, including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Irish Independent, and Irish Times. Dr. Eyanga’s civic contributions are substantial, with involvement in the Office of Refugee Application Commissioner, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, and the Garda Síochána Community Policing Strategic Committee. In addition to his professional pursuits, he is a passionate reader, writer, novelist, and poet with interests in management, health, politics, history, and spirituality. Dr. Eyanga’s extensive expertise and dedication make him an invaluable asset to organisations striving for productivity and sustainable growth.