Ayan Mohamed is a refugee and U.S. citizen with eight years of experience working as an interpreter who speaks five languages, as well as being one of the original founders of Uzima Health Services.

She is a prominent leader in the refugee community as well as overseeing Uzima’s outreach and marketing programs.

Ayan is passionately committed to helping refugees settling in Idaho. She has personal experience with trauma and understands the complex issues refugees face in acclimating to an unfamiliar culture.

Heidi Stark is one of the original founders of Uzima Health Services. Her desire to serve others led her to earn her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. She practiced at Uzima Health Services as a mental health practitioner with expertise in trauma-informed care and EMDR therapy. 

In 2023, Heidi transitioned away from being a therapist to full time administrative duties. She uses her 19 years of experience in maintaining information systems, to play a key role as Uzima’s Chief Administrative Officer.

Because of her compassion and leadership skills, she has become known as our beloved Mama Uzima.

Marilyn Sears received her MSW degree from Boise State University in 1996, and did adoption work until March of 1997 when she began counseling. 

She has expertise with autistic spectrum disorders as well as chronic and severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder, dissociative disorders, schizophrenia, generalized anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.

Marilyn is particularly passionate about working with the refugee population in Idaho, and draws on her expertise as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional to serve those in trauma recovery.

With over 20 years in international retail, I bring a wealth of experience to the field of Human Resources. My passion lies in protecting and empowering our greatest asset: our employees.

I transitioned to HR because I believe in the transformative power of creating a safe and supportive work environment.

My background allows me to understand the unique challenges faced by our workforce and develop effective strategies to address them.

I am dedicated to fostering a culture of respect, engagement, and well-being for all.

Stacy Torfin comes to Uzima with a unique skill set that makes her perfect for our Operations Manager. After 20 years of being a SAHM, she entered the workforce ready to go! She comes to us with life experience in being an Expat, and understanding the complications of immersing yourself in another country, culture and language.

While overseas, she was president of a youth organization and ran training, leadership, goal setting and conferences for adults and youth. Stacy is a self starter with a drive to get the work done right. She excels at reaching out into the community to build connections and find resources that make businesses successful.

She likes to look for cracks in the system and then find solutions to make it better and stronger than it was before. She has a gift for organization and creativity and she believes in giving 100% in everything she does! Stacy is also an entrepreneur and has 2 successful businesses, that continue to grow.