Mohammad Anis Arifi left Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021 to finish his Ph.D. in geology in India.  Anis had earned his master’s degree in geology and mining from the University of Kabul Polytechnic in 2017 and then worked as head of technical analysis for the housing department within the Afghan Ministry of Urban Development and Land.  He moved his family to Concord in 2022  and almost immediately started working as a groundwater geologist for GZA, an international geoengineering firm with an office in Meredith.  Anis was elected to the Board in December 2024.

Bianca L. Gentil is an anthropologist and policy expert deeply committed to fostering community resilience, empowerment, and data-based policy solutions. Growing up between Brazil, Peru, and the United States, Bianca developed a unique global perspective and a passion for bridging cultural divides. Her experiences navigating several distinct cultural landscapes inspired her career, which centers on connecting communities to resources and opportunities that enable safe, prosperous, and connected lives.

Lena Neruk earned her first law degree at Odessa State University in Ukraine in 2000, and she practiced law in the Odessa region for the next 16 years.  After immigrating to the United States in 2016, she earned a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Boston University in 2017 and an LLM degree from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston in 2021.  She is currently a paralegal at Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, P.A. in Manchester.  Lena started her volunteer work in Odessa in 1998 in support of UNICEF.  In 2022, she was a cofounder of Dobro New England, a nonprofit organization that sends humanitarian aid back to Ukraine.  Lena lives in Londonderry with her husband.  She speaks Ukrainian, Russian, and English.  She was elected to the Board in August 2024.

Lindsay Allsop brings to BCNH expertise in measuring the impact of social service programs. As the Data and Organizational Performance Manager at the New Hampshire Children’s Trust, Lindsay manages a statewide database and supports Family Resource Center staff across NH. Prior to joining NHCT, Lindsay coordinated communications and marketing initiatives at the UNH Institute on Disability and worked in marketing and product development departments at Wayfair in Boston and Sydney, Australia. Lindsay grew up in Concord, where she now lives with her husband, graduated from Bates College, and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Paul College of Business and Economics at UNH. She was elected to the BCNH Board in October 2023.

Nira Kandel is a public health specialist at the Manchester Department of Health. She also works as a special investigator for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Originally from Nepal, Nira was educated in Nepal, earning a master’s degree in rural development and a law degree. She moved to Manchester in 2021 with her husband and daughter after postings in Nepal, Indonesia, and Egypt. Nira is currently enrolled in a year-long training program at UNH’s Institute on Disabilities to provide enhanced care coordination to children, youth, and their caregivers whose parents are impacted by opioid-use disorders and other substance-use disorders. She was elected to the Board in October 2023

Dorsa Razi immigrated to the United States from Iran in 2017. She had earned an associates degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran, learned English at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Keene State College in 2022. She now works as an architectural designer at Warrenstreet Architects in Concord. Dorsa lives in Concord with her husband. She was elected to the Board in October 2023.

Blaise is originally from Congo. In 2003, he left for Belgium where he earned a MS in military construction. He received another engineering degree in Montreal in 2014, and an MS in structural engineering at UNH in 2017. He lives in Manchester with his wife and children and works at an engineering firm in Bedford. From 2018-2020, Blaise served a term as president of the Congolese Community of New Hampshire.