As president and CEO of ETSS, Dr. Seleshi Asfaw built ETSS in 2000 from scratch to help New Americans become successful citizens and contributing members of our society. Dr. Asfaw has a good appreciation of the challenges and opportunities facing new immigrants and is passionate about providing services to assist with the transition to life in the United States.

In addition to his leading role with ETSS, Asfaw was appointed by the Mayor of Columbus to serve as a board member for Primary One Health. He is a founding member of the New Americans Advisory Council established by Franklin County Commissioners and serve as a board member of Franklin County Human Services Chamber. He and his organization received appreciation and service recognition from Franklin County Commissioners, the Mayer’s office, City Council, Columbus Foundation, and the Governor’s Office. Dr. Asfaw is an honoree of the 2015 C-suite award of Columbus Business First; he also received the 2015 Molina HealthCare Ohio Community Champion Award, the 2016 African Distinction Humanitarian Award from the OSU African Youth League, 2016 Diversity in Business Award of Columbus Business First and Smart 50 Executive Award of 2016 for Innovation, Sustainability and Impact from Smart Business of Columbus. He is Alumni of the 2019 Ohio Leadership Academy.

Dr. Asfaw has a Doctor of Medicine from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and a Master’s in Public Health from Belgium Erasmus University. He practiced medicine and eventually served as Director of Gondar Regional Health Department through the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia before seeking asylum in Belgium in 1996, as Ethiopia was in crisis of civil war and human right violations. Eventually he immigrated to Columbus, Ohio in 1997 where he worked with Jewish Family Services and ECDI for five years directing IDA and the Microenterprise programs funded by ORR. He founded a number of community-based organizations tackling public health, educational and economic development issues in Central Ohio. Currently he serves on Racial Equity Advisory Committee of Franklin County Public Health.