WATCH: Community Conversation focus is Immigration in the Miami Valley

Immigrants make up nearly 5% of Montgomery County’s population, work in key industries and contributed nearly $1.9 billion to the local GDP, according to a recent report.

Community Impact Editor Nick Hrkman hosted a Community Conversation at noon on Wednesday, April 13, and you can learn about these issues and more with a panel of experts.

WATCH HERE:

Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Afghan refugees are being resettled here, and recently displaced Ukrainian refugees are likely to follow.

ExploreImmigrants add $1.9 billion to local GDP: ‘We are here to contribute’

In 2017, Dayton was the first city in the United States to earn the status of Certified Welcoming in recognition of inclusiveness and integration of immigrants through programs such as Welcome Dayton.

What are the social and economic effects of immigration? What does the future hold for immigrants and refugees in Dayton and Montgomery County? The discussion included experts from around the area. Panelists included:

Cady Landa, Dayton Human Relations Council board member and researcher
Ross McGregor, President and CEO of Pentaflex, Inc.
Jean De Dieu Mukunzi, executive director of Ebenezer Healthcare Access
Swapna Purandare, associate professor at Sinclair Community College
Laura Roesch, CEO of Catholic Social Services
Niels Winther, managing partner and chairman of the board for Think Patented

The Community Conversation can be watched live on the Dayton Daily News Facebook page.

Community Conversations is a Dayton Daily News series of moderated panel discussions on topics important to the Dayton region. You can watch March’s Community Conversation about how the pandemic has affect child development, January’s that focused on the region’s economic outlook for 2022 and December’s Community Conversation about Wright-Patt Air Force Base.