Samer has nearly 20 years of experience supporting cities around the world to become more inclusive of migrants, displaced people, and marginalized communities. As Director of City Practice at the Mayors Migration Council (MMC), he leads a global team providing technical assistance and financial resources that enable cities to design and implement locally led actions with global impact. He oversees MMC’s Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees, a $30 million initiative supporting more than 30 city governments. Through these investments, cities have improved the lives of over 140,000 people and leveraged millions more for inclusive local initiatives. A respected practitioner, Samer has played a key role in shifting power in migration and displacement responses from international to local actors. Prior to MMC, he served as the lead urban advisor at the International Rescue Committee, where he designed urban resilience initiatives in Northeast Nigeria, launched multi-year economic inclusion programs in East Africa, and built partnerships with Middle Eastern and European cities during the Syrian and Afghan displacement crises. Samer holds a Master of Urban Planning from NYU’s Wagner School and is currently a PhD student at The New School and a Senior Fellow at the Tufts Feinstein International Center.