David Htoo graduated from Houghton College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Development. David has been working with non-profit organizations as volunteer, interpreter, and refugee’s right advocate for many years. David has been working at the Buffalo City Hall as a Senior Data Processing Equipment Operator, and he also works part-time at the International Institute of Buffalo as a Certified Interpreter. David joined Karen society of Buffalo in 2011 as a volunteer in documenting KSB events. He was then elected as the KSB Board Vice-Chairperson in 2021, where he helps the Board Chairperson and Program Executive Director with various things such as making event flyers, tutoring for KSB afterschool program, taking clients to DMV, interpreting for community members, and other tasks as needed. In 2023, the former KSB Board Chairperson Daniel Leong stepped down from his position, and David was elected by the majority votes of the board to serve as the KSB Board Chairperson. 

Dr. Kim Griswold is a University at Buffalo Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine, Psychiatry and Public Health. She provided primary care on the West Side of Buffalo for over 25 years and was the Medical Director of an integrated mental health/primary care clinic at BestSelf Behavioral Health. Her career has been focused on diverse populations in Buffalo and helping to educate medical students about the importance of cultural humility. She worked with Karen and Burmese community leaders on a project to teach health science students how to use interpreters appropriately in a medical encounter. Currently, she is the faculty liaison to the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The HRI is a Physicians for Human Rights affiliated asylum clinic, which works closely with the local Survivors of Torture Program at Jewish Family Services of WNY.

Virginia Barron is a professional classical-music performer, educator and administrator. She was inspired to join the board of the Karen Society of Buffalo after co-founding Buffalo String Works—whose mission is to ignite personal and community leadership through accessible youth-centered music education on Buffalo’s West Side. As many of the Buffalo String Works students are refugees from Burma, working with BSW brought her into close contact with Karen children and parents. Serving on the board of the Karen Society of Buffalo provided an ideal opportunity to further serve the community.