Melanie Creps
Melanie's formative years, spent growing up in Papua New Guinea and transitioning to the United States midway through high school, deeply shaped her global perspective. Her experiences with extensive travel and adopting immigrant children instilled in her a lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Over the course of her career, Melanie has worked with various underserved populations, drawing from her own diverse background. She has lived abroad as well as across several U.S. states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, California, Florida, Oregon, and Utah, before settling on Long Island in 2020.
Melanie joined CARECEN with a wealth of experience in nonprofit program management and leadership. Initially serving as Community Programs Director, she expanded the team and impact by 500% in under four years. In 2024, she transitioned into the role of Executive Director, continuing her mission to amplify CARECEN's work for immigrants on Long Island.
Executive Director
Jessica Greenberg, Esq.
Jessica joins CARECEN as its Legal Director from Catholic Charities Community Services where she served as the Director of Bronx Immigration Services. She brings with her more than ten years of nonprofit immigration advocacy -- direct legal services, community outreach, mentorship and supervision, and program building.
Prior to law school, Jessica spent a year interning with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Jerusalem, Israel, working primarily with West African asylum-seekers. This sparked her desire to meaningfully "fight the good fight" for individuals seeking protection and/or the right to live freely in the United States.
Legal Director
Fernando Ruiz
Fernando Ruiz spent his early years in Guadalajara, Mexico after relocating from Los Angeles, California. He earned a B.A. in History from the University of Guadalajara before continuing his academic and professional development in New York City. He holds an M.A. in History from the City College of New York and an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College.
He has served the City of New York in an administrative capacity at the NYC Department of Buildings, gaining firsthand experience with the operational complexities and policy challenges of local government. His work is informed by a deep understanding of the immigrant experience—both through academic study and professional engagement. He is committed to fostering environments where individuals are treated with dignity and where systems are in place to support equitable access to opportunity for all, particularly newcomers.
Director of Operations
Maria Zoco
Maria obtained her Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, and a Masters of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She comes to CARECEN with a diverse background in the fields of medicine, public health, education and community engagement. Her work has all been focused on advancing equity, particularly for marginalized populations, including her recent work as a volunteer with CARECEN's ESOL program.
In her free time, Maria enjoys running, reading and spending time with her family and friends.
Community Programs Director
Melanie Creps
Executive Director
Melanie's formative years, spent growing up in Papua New Guinea and transitioning to the United States midway through high school, deeply shaped her global perspective. Her experiences with extensive travel and adopting immigrant children instilled in her a lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Over the course of her career, Melanie has worked with various underserved populations, drawing from her own diverse background. She has lived abroad as well as across several U.S. states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, California, Florida, Oregon, and Utah, before settling on Long Island in 2020.
Melanie joined CARECEN with a wealth of experience in nonprofit program management and leadership. Initially serving as Community Programs Director, she expanded the team and impact by 500% in under four years. In 2024, she transitioned into the role of Executive Director, continuing her mission to amplify CARECEN's work for immigrants on Long Island.
Fernando Ruiz
Director of Operations
Fernando Ruiz spent his early years in Guadalajara, Mexico after relocating from Los Angeles, California. He earned a B.A. in History from the University of Guadalajara before continuing his academic and professional development in New York City. He holds an M.A. in History from the City College of New York and an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College.
He has served the City of New York in an administrative capacity at the NYC Department of Buildings, gaining firsthand experience with the operational complexities and policy challenges of local government. His work is informed by a deep understanding of the immigrant experience—both through academic study and professional engagement. He is committed to fostering environments where individuals are treated with dignity and where systems are in place to support equitable access to opportunity for all, particularly newcomers.
Community Programs
Director
Maria Zoco
Maria obtained her Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, and a Masters of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She comes to CARECEN with a diverse background in the fields of medicine, public health, education and community engagement. Her work has all been focused on advancing equity, particularly for marginalized populations, including her recent work as a volunteer with CARECEN's ESOL program.
In her free time, Maria enjoys running, reading and spending time with her family and friends.
Community Programs
Director
Maria Zoco
Areeba brings a deeply personal commitment to immigrant advocacy, shaped by her family's journey fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan and seeking asylum in the United States. Having experienced displacement, family separation, and the challenges of adapting to a new country, she brings a deep sense of empathy and urgency to her work.
Areeba joined CARECEN in 2023 as a Supervising Attorney in the New York State Office for New Americans Legal Counsel Program, where she led CARECEN’s largest legal team, provided strategic oversight on complex immigration matters, and helped strengthen systems for quality representation and professional development. In 2026, she stepped into the Director of Legal Services role.
Prior to joining CARECEN, Areeba supervised immigration legal services programs at Catholic Charities Community Services of the Archdiocese of New York and began her legal career as a Public Defender with the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County. Her experience includes removal defense, humanitarian immigration matters, and criminal defense. She earned her J.D. from Cornell Law School and holds degrees in Economic Policy Analysis and Philosophy, Politics, and Law from Binghamton University.
Areeba Thakir Chicvak Esq
Director of Legal Services
Jolie Breidbart
Director of Development and Communications
Jolie is a development professional and artist who adores storytelling, strategy, and community. She grew up on Long Island and is a graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. With a background in nonprofit development, education, advocacy, and the arts, Jolie brings both creativity and pragmatism to her work. Throughout her career, she has helped nonprofits strengthen fundraising, deepen donor relationships, and communicate their work in ways that connect and build meaning.
Jolie is proud to serve as CARECEN’s Director of Development and Communication. She believes that creativity builds bridges and brings people together, whether on the page, a screen, during a morning run, in a meal made for someone, or through the stories we share.
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