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Google Program Management Lead Brian Novacek Joins Refugee Services of Texas

Novacek will bring his administrative and corporate management skills from the world-renowned technology company to Refugee Services of Texas as a Board Member

Refugee Services of Texas is proud to welcome Brian Novacek, Program Management Lead at Google, to the 2022 Board of Directors.

In addition to his professional experience at Google, Novacek is a committed supporter of refugees and asylum seekers, having served as the leader of the Refugee Support Coalition in Austin since 2017.

“Not only does Brian bring a unique professional resume to his role on the Board, he also brings a sincere heart that will help RST function with a greater degree of compassion and empathy for the sake of our clients,” said Russell Smith, LMSW, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas. “Brian has put his management background to use by hosting resume workshops and practice interviews for refugees before they go into real interviews. That kind of compassionate spirit is exactly what RST needs in order to grow and accomplish its mission of serving vulnerable populations from around the world.”

Novacek first began volunteering with RST four years ago after being introduced to the program at Austin Stone Community Church. Once he began his volunteer work with RST, he was able to see firsthand how a little compassion can bring someone confidence when they’re starting out in a strange new culture.

With his years of experience as a project leader at Google and a business degree from the University of Miami, Novacek will bring critical administrative and leadership skills from the corporate world into the non-profit world with RST.

He is one of seven new board members elected to serve two-year terms on the 18-member board. The new board members will join RST at a critical time as agencies across the U.S. scramble to resettle the unexpected influx of refugees from Afghanistan and others from across the globe.

He began his term in January 2022.

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