Zerihoun Yilma

Zerihoun Yilma is the associate director of CHIRLA. He is an immigrant from Ethiopia, who is committed to fighting racial, economic, and social inequality. He has worked tirelessly to bridge diverse immigrant groups with native-born Americans to bring immigration reform to the top of the American moral agenda.

Zerihoun has studied and worked in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors in Ethiopia, Botswana, Namibia, India and the U.S.

He currently serves as a Board member of the Californians for Human Immigrant Rights Leadership Action Fund, as the Board Chair for Black Alliance for Just Immigration, and as a Board member of Casa Libre Shelter/Freedom House (CHRCL).Before coming to CHIRLA, Zerihoun worked in financial services in Los Angeles and in Africa, where he managed small to medium manufacturing and service plants.

In Los Angeles, Zerihoun has helped shape several nonprofits: he is co-founder of the African Communities Public Health Coalition (African Coalition), co-founder of the Academia Moderna, a longtime member of Black Immigration Network (BIN) and has served as vice president of the Virgin Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral.

Zerihoun earned a Masters in accounting and cost accounting from Poona University and a BA in industrial management from Shivaji University in India.