(JNS.org) The White House has announced the appointment of Aviva Sufian as the first Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Special Envoy for U.S. Holocaust Survivor Services. Sufian “will focus on those [Holocaust] survivors currently living in poverty, as well as those who may not be receiving services for which they are currently eligible,” according to the White House. She will also “coordinate with colleagues at HHS and across the federal government to advance programs that help Holocaust survivors” and “collaborate with nonprofit organizations and the private sector to raise awareness about the needs of this vulnerable population and explore public-private partnerships that could provide additional support,” the White House said.

Currently the director of regional operations for the HHS Administration for Community Living, Sufian previously served as senior advisor at the Social Security Administration.