What do you love to do outside of the Office of Equity?

"Being near water is a given for me. :) I love bright sunshiny days, hanging with friends at the beach or by the river. And I love to cook, so always, always up for good food - again, with friends. I use food to bridge the gap between folks, and I have had great success with it."

What do you contribute to the Office of Equity?

"My super power is connection! I am a connector. Also, a collaborator and communicator, and been told I'm a very strategic thinker - I bring all these gifts to the work I do. I like building community and connecting people to resources and to each other. I always want to know about what you are doing and how I can help. This lived experience, my heritage and cultural knowledge is what I bring with me everywhere."

"I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship." - Brené Brown

Why are you in this role?

"There aren't many Brown, Immigrant, Muslim women of South Asian descent doing what I do in the community. In my perspective, I am just expanding my community and learning along the way. Now I know about your community, I want to see how I can incorporate your needs into my agenda and collaborate with you to ensure your voice is represented. I can do a lot of this at my job - I hope I can make a difference; this is extremely important to me.

"I work at the intersection of community, the environment, and government. We are all connected. 'I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.' ~ Brené Brown"