Maine Gov. Janet Mills has named Tarlan Ahmadov, a former refugee coordinator with Catholic Charities Maine, as the first director of the state’s taxpayer-funded migrant resettlement office: the “Office of New Americans” (ONA).
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Gov. Mills announced the appointment in a Wednesday press release, saying that Ahmadov’s “deep experience helping new Mainers adjust, step into jobs, and contribute to our state has prepared him well to lead the Office of New Americans.”
“Tarlan’s leadership will ensure that our workforce and economy can fully benefit from the valuable skills, knowledge, and work ethic of new Americans who make their home in Maine,” Mills said.
Ahmadov immigrated to the U.S. from Azerbaijan in 2003, and he is the founder of the Azerbaijan Society of Maine.
Prior to his immigration to the U.S., Ahmadov worked in the education field in Baku, Azerbaijan, and later worked with a nonprofit organization consulting business to Azeri Consulate in Tehran, Iran, according to a summary of his biographical information shared by the Maine Department of Labor.
He has been the director of the Division of Programs at MDOL’s Bureau of Employment Services since 2022.
Previously, Ahmadov was the state refugee coordinator with Catholic Charities Maine from March 2017 to July 2022, which involved the administration of federal welfare benefits to refugees and asylum-seeking migrants in Maine.
The Mills Administration has said the ONA is aimed at helping the state meet its goal of attracting 75,000 new workers over the next five years by facilitating the incorporation of immigrants into Maine’s workforce.
[RELATED: Mills Admin, Nonprofits, and Big Biz Back New Migrant Resettlement Agency for Maine…]
“I am honored to lead Maine’s Office of New Americans and grateful to Governor Mills for the opportunity to advance its mission,” Ahmadov said Wednesday.
“In this role, I will strengthen workforce integration, support immigrant entrepreneurs, and foster welcoming communities across the state,” Ahmadov added. “I look forward to collaborating with community leaders, employers, state and municipal agencies, nonprofit, foundations, and other partners to build a stronger, more inclusive Maine where everyone can succeed and contribute to our collective success.”
The appointment was celebrated by representatives of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Charities Maine, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition, and a slew of other migrant advocacy nonprofit organizations.
The state migrant resettlement office was initially put forward in an executive order by Gov. Mills in August 2023 which directed the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) to develop a plan to create the ONA, as part of a nationwide network of similar state resettlement offices.
[RELATED: Democrats Force Through Controversial Office of New Americans by Hiding it Inside Budget Bill…]
Although a standalone bill to create the office failed to garner enough support for passage in the last legislative session, on the final day of the session Democratic lawmakers attached just over $300,000 to fund the creation of the ONA to the supplemental budget, which was passed.
The ONA plan created by GOPIF also called for the creation of a 19-member advisory council to advise the office, whose members are scheduled to be announced in mid-January.
