Meet the Team
Kevin Kamal
Director | Institutional Client Relations | Canada
Kevin has led WES Canada’s Institutional Client Development and Relations team for the past 20 years. He works collaboratively with all the stakeholders in the international academic credential assessment and recognition community in Canada. Mentoring immigrants or refugees are his passion. Prior to joining WES, Kevin worked in both private and public sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and master’s degrees in social sciences and international relations from universities in the United States. Kevin has co-authored articles on the education systems of Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.
Aliyyah Nazeem
Senior Manager of Academic Services | Canada
Aliyyah’s background in student recruitment and admission provides a strong foundation for her work with WES’ institutional clients. In her role, Aliyyah liaises with colleges and universities across Canada, stays updated on policy changes, and answers specific questions about WES evaluations. Before joining WES, Aliyyah was a recruitment officer at the Michener Institute of Education at University Health Network, where she received WES evaluation reports submitted by applicants for admission. She holds a degree from the University of Guelph and a diploma and postgraduate certificate from Humber College.
Karolin Givergis
Senior Coordinator | Client Relations | Canada
Karolin provides support to the Institutional Relations team in Canada by communicating with various partners such as educational institutions, licensing bodies, and employers, and by answering questions about WES services and evaluations. Karolin represents WES at conferences and delivers info sessions at community agencies. She has been with WES Canada since its inception in 2000 and enjoys helping newcomers in their settlement journey. Karolin speaks six languages and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Concordia University in Montreal.
Ruth Demeke
Coordinator | Client Relations | Canada
Ruth serves as the primary contact for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), immigration consultants, and lawyers. She handles communications from IRCC, answering questions about WES services from members of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants. She is the liaison to community agencies serving immigrants. Ruth joined WES as a customer service representative in 2011. She completed the Communication and Public Relations Certificate program at the University of Toronto.
Lorinda Grogg
Director | Institutional Relations | U.S.
Prior to joining WES in 2002, Lorinda enjoyed a career in education that included classroom instruction, admissions (Ball State University), and recruitment/assessment/placement/outcomes (ACT). Today she provides leadership for the Institutional Relations team, which includes Regional Directors and Academic Services as part of the team’s work with recipients of WES evaluations and services, and coordinating with and supporting other divisions at WES. What she enjoys most, however, are the personal relationships she has developed over time with campus based colleagues, and the opportunity to advise and assist them.
Michael Hearne
Regional Director | Institutional Relations | U.S.
Michael Hearne serves as the principal contact for all of the partner schools and organizations in the states within his region. He keeps in constant communication with schools to answer questions about specific evaluations or WES services, attends conferences, hosts webinars, makes virtual and in-person visits to partner schools, and stays up to date on both WES policy and any relevant changes in the field of international education. Before coming to WES, Mike spent five years in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Hofstra University, and he holds a master’s degree from Hofstra’s School of Health Professions and Human Services.
Indira Marte
Regional Director | Institutional Relations | U.S.
Indira Marte serves as the main point of contact for academic institutions and organizations in the northeastern region of the United States. Indira has served in various roles with WES since 2005 and currently focuses on client outreach and management, as well as the promotion of WES resources to partner institutions. Indira holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature and language from the State University of New York at Albany.
Shawn Patton
Regional Director | Institutional Relations | U.S.
Shawn is a passionate international education professional with experience living, working, and studying abroad. Before joining WES, he worked at the Institute of International Education where he developed initiatives to increase international academic partnerships and managed programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, as well as other government and foundation sponsors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of California, Irvine. In addition to serving the institutions in his region, he serves as the primary contact for partner institutions interested in implementing the AccessWES integration with Slate.
