Ato Kebede Gebray

Kebede Gebray served as Senior Director of the YMCA Refugee Resettlement Program, where he oversaw the resettlement of more than 25,000 refugees from over 30 countries in the Greater Houston area.

He was a founding board member of the Ethiopian Community Mutual Assistance Association (ECMAA) in Houston and served as its board chairman in the 1980s. Kebede also helped establish the Refugee Services Alliance in Houston and was a founding member of the Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (COEDF).

In the 1970s, he was an active member of the Ethiopian Students Union in North America (ESUNA), serving as Assistant Secretary in 1978/79. He later co-chaired the formation conference of the Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy.

Kebede earned his degree in Electro-Mechanical Technology from the University of Houston.

Born in Sebeya, Ethiopia, he had the privilege of growing up in various parts of the country, including Addis Ababa, Debre Markos, Bale Goba, Gore, and Dire Dawa. He is married to his beloved wife, Tsehay Dagne Chekol, and together they have two children and three grandchildren.

Now retired for 17 years, Kebede and his wife divide their time between Houston and Addis Ababa.