Educational Institution Panel

In the first panel of the afternoon, representatives from Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education, George Mason University, and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry highlighted the ways in which their educational institutions provide refugees with critical skills and support. 

Speaker Bios

Gary G. Pan was appointed Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) by Governor Glenn Youngkin in January 2022.  As Commissioner, Gary provides leadership to a team of dedicated professionals whose mission is to make Virginia a safer place to work and live by collaborating with businesses to develop robust occupational safety and health programs, recognizing employers who demonstrate excellence in workplace safety, safeguarding employees’ rights through compliance with labor and employment laws, and expanding job training opportunities through the Virginia Registered Apprenticeship program.

After earning a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University, Gary moved to Northern Virginia where he led two successful consulting firms that provided technical and project management support to federal agencies including the US Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration.  Gary received his MBA from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business.  He completed his doctoral coursework (ABD) in Organizational Leadership at the University of Phoenix.

Throughout his career, Gary has been passionate about supporting his community. For more than a decade, he served as President of his local Rotary International Club and a Senior Advisor to the Northern Virginia Technical Council. As a Boy Scouts of America Scoutmaster, Gary has dedicated over 15 years to helping young Virginians develop leadership skills, integrity, and a commitment to service.

As Executive Director of the Institute for Digital InnovAtion, Dr. Kammy Sanghera and her team support the research community in the pursuit of cutting-edge work to shape the future of our digital society, promoting equality, wellbeing, security, and prosperity.

Before assuming the IDIA role, Dr. Sanghera served as the Executive Director of STEM Outreach for the College of Engineering and Computing. She was also the Associate Chair of the Information Sciences and Technology department. Dr. Sanghera was a founding member of Virginia’s Governor Northam’s STEM commission. She serves on the executive board of the Northern Virginia Computer Science Teachers’ Association. Dr. Sanghera received the NCWIT Extension Services award to implement systemic change to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation of women in technology and engineering undergraduate programs. Her efforts have positively contributed to the Go Virginia Tech Talent Pipeline initiative, where she worked closely with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Fairfax County Government Office, Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Dr. Sanghera is also an active member of the Students and Technology in Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) program and the National Center of Women in Technology (NCWIT). She has worked on the Sisters Rise Up grant by Reboot Representation.

Paul Steiner is the Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education, Administrator.  He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and George Mason University.  Paul taught Construction and Carpentry in Prince William County for 12 years and served as the Career and Technical Education Administrator for Osbourn High School in the City of Manassas.  He is passionate about serving the community through lifelong learning and workforce development.