White House Author

Anna Crosslin has served as President and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) for nearly 37 years. Founded in 1919, the IISTL is the region’s Welcoming Center for New Americans. The Institute provides integrative services to 7,500 clients annually from 80 countries. IISTL’s services include Missouri’s largest refugee resettlement program with 600 refugees sponsored annually, and the organization has helped start or expand more than 600 refugee-owned businesses since 1999. Anna has also been instrumental in the founding and operation of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a nationally-recognized multi-sector led immigration attraction initiative. Born in Tokyo and raised in America, Anna is uniquely aware of the challenges that language and culture present to refugee newcomers.