MAPS Board & Leadership

MAPS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Muslim Americans in Public Service is managed by a Board of Directors, which are supported by Deputy Directors, specialized Board Committees, and a standing, non-decision-making Advisory Council.

To facilitate its mission effectively, MAPS also organizes State Committees for sub-national member and policy coordination; facilitates the establishment of MAPS Chapter Employee Resource Groups (ERGS) within Federal Departments and Agencies; and convenes both State and Federal Leadership Coordination Councils to provide fora for sustained cooperation and collaboration across similarly focused Muslim public service associations and organizations. 

MAPS also coordinates several professional Communities of Practice (COPs) to support members currently serving, or looking to serve, within specific career tracks across all levels and branches of government.

Meet our leaders, read more about their distinguished public service careers, reach out directly or follow them on social media below.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MAPS objectives and activities are developed and executed by an experienced Board of Directors. 

The Board is comprised of a dedicated Executive Committee that serves alongside senior public servants and community organizers that help guide decisions as At-Large Members.

Together, participating in their personal capacities, they represent a diversity of professional backgrounds, ethnic and Muslim faith communities, levels and branches of government experience, and civil society engagement.

Ahmad Maaty

Chair

Natasha Syed

Vice Chair

Ameer Abdulrahman

General Secretary

Hassan Sheikh

Outreach Director

Assma Daifallah

Membership Director

Mariya Ilyas

Professional Development Director

Farrah Pappa

Policy Director

Hamza Rahman

Operations Director

Mariam Siddiqui

Communications Director

Amani Moin

Finance Director

Tamim Chowdhury

Board Member at Large

Hasan Shanawani

Board Member at Large

BOARD SPECIALISTS, COMMITTEE CHAIRS & DEPUTY DIRECTORS

Board Committees and Task Forces may be formed by the MAPS Board as needed to achieve MAPS’ mission and organizational priorities. These include the Board Committees for Membership, Operations, Professional Development, Communications, Policy, Outreach, and Finance, as well as the Standing Legal Advocacy and Public Private Partnership Committees.

Board Deputy Directors support their respective Directors, shape their specialized portfolios, manage their Committees, and execute their duties and voting obligations in their absence. Deputies serve key sustainability goals while ensuring diversity of thought, consensus building and continuity of operations.

Committee Chairs lead additional Board Committees that tackle novel and experimental functions and goals in service of our membership and broader community.

Waqar Azeem

Chief Technology Officer

Shahid Khan

Deputy Professional Development Director

Aamer Uddin

Deputy Outreach Director

Amatullah R'id

Deputy Membership Director

Madiha Zuberi

Deputy Professional Development Director for Judicial Appointments

Shiraz Baig

Deputy Policy Director

Shawn Syed

Chair, Public Private Partnership Committee

MAPS STATE COMMITTEES

Coordinated by MAPS’ Outreach Director, State Committees help organize MAPS National members and local public servants, and represent MAPS among government officials within their respective States. 

These local leaders ensure community and professional development are brought directly to local public servants where they live and work. 

Presidents of all MAPS State Committees are also connected to one another on a State Leadership Coordination Council. Learn more about our State Committees, including their full leadership and individual resources here.

Basem Hassan

President, MAPS New York

Sofia Abdi

President, MAPS Massachusetts

Omar Bakri

President, MAPS Pennsylvania

Mahanaz Ebadi

President, MAPS California

Machhadie Assi

President, MAPS Michigan

Nancy Moemen

President, MAPS New Jersey

BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS & SPECIALISTS

Board Committees and Task Forces formed by the MAPS Board to achieve MAPS’ mission and organizational priorities rely on qualified members and specialists that serve as key resources with their respective portfolios and to the organization at large. 

While not shown below, Board Committees also include other Board members, Deputy Directors and leaders.

Shaz Akram

Resume Reviewer; Member, Professional Development Committee

Rida Hameed

Resume Reviewer; Member, Professional Development Committee

Saeb Ahsan

Member, Professional Development Committee

CAPT Moira McGuire

Member, Membership Committee

Abdus Samad Pardesi

Member, Policy Committee

Abeer Jafil

Member, Policy Committee

Aisha Mahmood

Member, Policy Committee

Zaineb Sharif

Member, Communications Committee

Maryam Noor

Member, Communications Committee

Hadia Rehman

Member, Communications Committee

All Board members participate in MAPS in their personal capacities, while Leadership Coordination Council members serve in their official organizational capacities. Participation in MAPS does not reflect or imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies and departments.

Ahmad Maaty currently serves as a Senior Economist with the U.S. Department of Justice, developing Federal regulations for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He worked in a similar regulatory capacity at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including as Acting Chief Economist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He also deployed as an Inter-Governmental Affairs Specialist during FEMA emergency responses to disaster declarations in Texas and Puerto Rico.

Previously, Ahmad served as a Franklin Fellow with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources, helping craft State and USAID’s economic growth budget and strategy. He also helped introduce data tools to guide assistance as a founding member of the Country Data Analytics team, liaising with the White House National Security Council on bi-lateral investment opportunities. Ahmad first joined State ten years earlier, helping cover the Middle East portfolio before the United Nations Security Council for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. 

During the eight year interval in Federal service, Ahmad held roles with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Islamic Development Bank, developing economic growth, poverty reduction, and evaluation programs with fieldwork in over a dozen countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. 

A New York City native, he served as President of the Arab Students Association at Pace University in downtown Manhattan during the events of September 11th, 2001, and on the Board of the Muslim Students Association at the George Washington University in Washington DC. Ahmad earned his Masters in Public Administration from Cornell University, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell policy journal.

Natasha Shah Syed is a seasoned public servant with over 15 years of expertise in human resources, program and operations management, strategic communications and outreach. Natasha earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from Virginia Tech, USA and her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. 


A recent political appointee serving as a Special Assistant to the National Capital Region Regional Administrator (Region 11) in the General Services Administration (GSA), Natasha has excelled in providing management and advisory level support across various functional areas to government, nonprofit and private agencies in the U.S. and abroad. 


From helping implement early education programs in rural Pakistan to enforcing federal Section 3 regulations protecting marginalized communities in America and championing recruitment and outreach efforts to promote careers in public service, Natasha has leveraged her knowledge, skills and expertise to implement local and international policy directives while working for agencies like the Prince William County Service Authority, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), City of Roanoke, Virginia, United Nations Global Pulse (UNGP), the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), Save the Children International. 


Serving as the former MAPS Deputy Outreach Director and current Vice Chair, Natasha hopes to continue serving the Muslim community and  bettering as many lives as possible. She can be reached at vicechair@mapsnational.org.

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Ameer Abdulrahman is a policy advisor who has dedicated his career to advocating for marginalized communities concerning policy change. Ameer leads successful advocacy campaigns that center young people to create real solutions for a better future and advises legislators across the country. 

As a son of immigrants and refugees, Ameer believes in the importance of seeing people for their full humanity and in doing the work to provide them that opportunity.

Ameer currently serves as the National Campaign Manager at PERIOD. Previously, he was the Director of Operations on a United States Senate Campaign in Ohio. He can be reached at youthengagement@mapsnational.org.

Hassan Sheikh is an Analyst in Public Health Emergency Management in the Congressional Research Service for the Library of Congress, where he serves as an authoritative, non-partisan expert for Members of Congress on issues related to public health crises and the FDA regulation of drugs.

Before entering public service at CRS, Hassan served at the local jurisdictional level with the City of Baltimore, where he served as a Medical Countermeasure Coordinator for Baltimore’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. In that position, he was responsible for coordinating Baltimore’s response to major health crises. Most notably, Hassan served as a key architect in Baltimore’s COVID-19 response where he oversaw a number of response operations such as ensuring that healthcare systems had the equipment they needed to keep their facilities operational during the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 and the mass vaccination of tens of thousands of Baltimore City residents against COVID-19.  

Prior to his time in Baltimore City, Hassan had served as a community pharmacist in the Northeastern United States area. His prior experiential experiences had afforded him the opportunity to practice pharmacy in a myriad of settings including the Indian Health Service, United States Air Force, and a Caribbean Rural Healthcare Clinic. These experiences led Hassan to the development of coordinated health care strategies to better serve his community. While working as a community pharmacist, Hassan would serve as a mentor for pharmacy student interns and would travel to the Caribbean to serve as preceptor for student pharmacists.  

Hassan’s career has spanned the cross section of health and law, and at every juncture, he has chosen to apply his experiences in the way that best has taken any opportunity that best allows him to serve his community.

Hassan graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy in 2012 from the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. After three years as a practicing pharmacist for medically underserved populations in Vermont and New Hampshire, he decided to pursue a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Maryland School of Law, from which he graduated in 2018 with a specialization in health law and policy. Hassan can be reached at outreach@mapsnational.org.

Assma Daifallah is a highly accomplished education consultant and strategic leader with over a decade of experience in the field. Assma collaborates with states, schools, institutions, and educators to create innovative strategies and solutions. Her expertise lies in curriculum development, teacher training, and advanced educational technology to enhance educational outcomes. Assma consistently fosters positive learning environments, promotes inclusivity, and empowers educators and students throughout her various roles.

Currently, at the Illinois State Board of Education, Assma works as a consultant and leads a monitoring team to ensure that programs adhere to both state and federal regulations. Assma also leads presentations to districts on the support and compliance monitoring protocols tailored to dually identified students, particularly English learners, and immigrant students. This initiative reflects her commitment to closely aligning educational practices with the stringent mandates set by state and federal laws.

With academic credentials that underscore her expertise, Assma holds a B.A. from Saint Xavier University in secondary education and social science with a minor in international studies. She also earned an M.A. in Higher Administration from Tiffin University. Currently, she is a doctoral student at Kent State University, further solidifying her commitment to ongoing learning and research in the field of education.

Mariya Ilyas is a career U.S. diplomat. As a political-coned Foreign Service Officer, she is currently serving as the Staff Assistant to Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. 

Her previous assignments include political-military officer in the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in Washington D.C., non-immigrant visa chief at the U.S. Embassy Doha, and vice consul at the U.S. Embassy Amman. 

Prior to joining the U.S. Foreign Service as a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow in 2018, she taught English as a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey and worked as a data analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance in Boston. 

Mariya holds a master’s in security studies and maritime affairs from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Bowdoin College. Mariya volunteers her time as the co-chair of U.S. State Department’s employee organization Muslim Americans and Friends at State (AMFAS) and as a board member of the nonprofit organization Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS). She can be reached at profdev@mapsnational.org. 

Farrah Pappa is a career Program Examiner currently working in the Education Branch within the Education, Income Maintenance, and Labor Division at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She currently oversees 20+ K-12 federal programs that help socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, youth experiencing homelessness, English learners, and other vulnerable sub-groups to reach their academic potential and succeed. She also oversees post disaster recovery for schools. She is a staunch advocate that American children deserve at chance to thrive regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Prior to joining OMB, Farrah worked at a think-tank as an Education Policy Analyst, and then at a non-profit doing social policy research.

Farrah has a Master’s in Public Policy from American University, Certificate in Management and Analytics, PMP certification, and a Bachelor’s in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Hamza Rahman is a Biden-Harris political appointee, currently serving as the Advisor for External Affairs at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, Hamza engages with NGOs, state and local government and members of Congress to further the priorities laid down by ICE leadership, DHS leadership and the President.

Prior to joining DHS, Hamza was a Summer Associate at a law firm and worked for the Democratic Party of Georgia as a Field Organizer.

Hamza holds a B.A. in Political Science from the Georgia State University, where he served as Student Body Executive Vice President and member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

Amani is currently a research economist at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  Her primary research areas are cryptoasset derivatives, event contract markets, and trading behavior around Federal Reserve announcements. She is also a project manager at ECHO (echo-usa.org), where she helps oversee a program that provides vocational trading to low income individuals. Previously, Amani was the chief economist at AVA Labs. 

Amani has a PhD in Economics from Cornell University. She also holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado State University. 

Tamim is a born-and-raised Chicagoan and a career public service professional with 19+  years of Federal experience. He has served in roles and specializations ranging from project management, contracting, real estate development, land use, environmental remediation, economic development and National program administration across stints with the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and currently with the Department of Homeland Security. 

His love for community expresses itself through non-profit organizations, where he serves on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Caucus Education Collective, Green Muslims and MAPS as an at-large Board member. His diverse educational background, B.A. in Philosophy, B.S. in Finance, M.A. in Education with a focus on transformational leadership, emotional and social intelligence keep him seeking new opportunities to learn and engage.

Hasan Shanawani is a passionate advocate for public service and community engagement within the Muslim community. He serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he drives initiatives that enhance healthcare access and equity. 

Previously, he served as president of the American Muslim Health Professionals (AMHP) for four years, working to promote health equity. As the founder and director of the National Muslim COVID Task Force, Hasan mobilized resources and support during the pandemic to protect vulnerable populations. 

Hasan currently serves as a board member of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, championing justice and inclusion. Hasan is dedicated to empowering Muslim voices in public policy and seeks to bring his experience and commitment to the board of Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS).

Waqar is a seasoned federal IT leader with experiences spanning across several federal agencies. While at GSA, he launched MadeinAmerica.gov and supported digital service delivery of the EPA’s Clean School Bus program. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Director of Digital Services at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He is passionate about enhancing digital experience for all users, specifically the federal workforce and disadvantaged communities. 

His previous private sector experience includes notable national brands such as The Onion, Capital One and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).

Waqar holds multiple graduate degrees in Engineering Management, as well as Cybersecurity from the George Washington University.  He holds the honor of being a Bill & Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar.
Shahid Khan is currently a civil servant with the US Department of Commerce. In 2016 he left his native Texas, where he supported the local racoon population that was eating garbage, to move to Washington DC and work for the federal government, where he now assists the hungry yet invasive squirrel population that primarily also eats garbage.
 
He’s worked as an economist and now has shifted to working as a trade and data analyst focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean region of the world. He holds a masters in Applied Economics and a bachelors in Economics from the University of Houston Main Campus where he also completed the South Asian American trial by fire for love of one’s parents by studying pre-medicine. He’s currently mid-way through his 2nd master’s degree in International Economic Policy concentrating on Economic Development in the Middle East at the George Washington University.
 
Shahid takes pride in being able to understand Sindhi as well as being able to read Urdu and speak Hindi-Urdu, albeit with a telltale American accent. He does regret losing the fluency he once held in Japanese but is using the same techniques to study Modern Standard Arabic. Shahid is also a 1st dan in taekwondo which he trained for 10 years in addition to limited training in boxing and jiujutsu. His other volunteer efforts are primarily focused on suicide prevention with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and assisting at-risk homeless people obtain employment with The Village Connect. Shahid can be reached at professionaldevelopment@mapsnational.org.

Aamer Uddin is an International Trade Specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). He primarily focuses on upstream materials crucial for the energy transition and advanced manufacturing sectors. He oversees critical minerals, consumer goods, and textile supply chains within his portfolio. He demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical supply chain practices by actively supporting efforts to eradicate forced labor globally.

A proud alumnus of the Future Leader in Public Service Fellowship,
Aamer gained valuable experience interning for the Office of the
Secretary at the DOC. Prior to his tenure at the DOC, he cultivated a
diverse background in public policy and electoral politics, including
serving on the House Small Business Committee and spearheading
progressive campaigns across the Midwest, South, and New England
regions. During his time in the House of Representatives, Aamer played a pivotal role in staffing hearings aimed at enhancing the global competitiveness of small businesses and shaping policies for COVID-19 relief efforts.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Aamer holds public policy and organizational behavior degrees from the University of Kansas. In addition to his governmental duties, he has showcased his entrepreneurial acumen by founding and scaling a successful modular recycling business.

Amatullah R’id is Senior Advisor to the Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. At USAID, she advances key management and operations functions and reforms on behalf of the Deputy Administrator. Prior to this role, she was the Division Chief for the Learning and Knowledge Management Division in the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation’s (DDI) Program Office, where she led several Community of Practices and provided Bureau-wide leadership in implementing risk mitigation, policy analysis and overseeing compliance, knowledge management and programmatic performance functions for the Bureau.  

Previously, Amatullah was Acting Division Chief and Senior Strategic Planning Analyst in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment’s (E3) Program Office. Amatullah has also previously held
several leadership positions at the US Environmental Protection Agency where she led the Agency’s Securing America’s Value and Efficiency (SAVE) award process, and teams that formulated the budget for Agency operating units and key Agency initiatives in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of General Counsel. 

Amatullah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University. She has held several leadership positions in organizations advancing environmental education and justice, energy efficiency, civic engagement, and service.

Madiha M. Zuberi is senior counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, Crypto Asset and Cybersecurity Unit in the Los Angeles Regional Office.  As an Enforcement attorney, Madiha conducts investigations for possible violations of federal securities laws related to crypto markets and disclosures and controls issues with respect to cybersecurity. Some recent investigations of the Unit include FTX and Silicon Valley Bank.
 
Prior to joining the SEC, Madiha was an attorney at BakerHostetler in the New York and Los Angeles offices where she served as counsel to the Trustee liquidating the Bernie Madoff estate.  As counsel, she investigated the $65 billion Ponzi to help garner funds for the Madoff victims.
 

Alongside her legal career, Madiha has devoted much of her time to increasing diversity within the legal community.  She is a co-founder of the Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY) and the Muslim Bar Association of Southern California (MBASC), for both of which she served in leadership for many years.  Madiha received her J.D. from New York Law School in 2009. 

Shiraz Baig is currently a Staffer in the United States House of Representatives. A local to the DC Metro Area, Shiraz attended Northern Virginia Community College and graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2021. In his role at the House of Representatives, he manages issues related to Economic Development, Commerce, Financial Institutions, Tax, Housing, Healthcare, and Infrastructure.

During his tenure in college, he was part of the student-run radio station, WGMU, providing exposure for up-and-coming and well-known artists. Shiraz is also currently making original music as the bassist for his band Infective Collective playing eclectic energetic music influenced by the psychedelic blues rock of the 60s as well as the irreverent alt rock of the 90s.

Working as a cog in the political machine during the day and promoting the art of rock and roll at night, Shiraz dedicates time to promoting the development of American Muslims in civic life in between. Having grown up seeing his parents struggle as federal employees and Muslims in a post-9/11 Washington D.C., Shiraz is always trying to find ways to advocate for Muslim voices in spaces where they go unheard.

Founder & CEO of Syed and Associates Management Consulting LLC, Shawn Syed is a seasoned leader and management consultant with over 17 years of professional services experience, including over 6 years in the Big 4 (PwC). His extensive clientele includes Fortune 500 and Public Sector entities. He specializes in: Business Process Optimization, Finance & Accounting Transformation, Human Capital Management / HR Technology and Project Management.

Shawn is passionate about continuing his service to the public sector and being an ambassador to his authentic identity by mentoring and coaching entrepreneurs, management consultants and / or technologists. His public sector experience includes overseas deployment to Iraq, with the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO). He has also supported the public sector abroad including the UKs Department for International Development by serving as the chief executive of an interim management company responsible for operationalizing a $100M primary education program.

Shawn is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), credentialed Change Management Professional, Certified Human Capital Strategist. Mr. Syed completed three undergraduate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Georgetown University. He can be reached at publicprivate@mapsnational.org.

Basem’s passion for wielding communication as a tool for good has earned him the reputation as a pivotal figure in driving positive social change and fostering a more inclusive global society.

He is a seasoned communications strategist and executive leader, currently serving within the NYC Mayor’s Office.

His strategic vision and execution capabilities have been instrumental in overseeing national strategy development with the highest levels of government and foreign embassies.

Prior to his current role in government, Basem’s experience includes significant contributions to mission-driven causes, leveraging his skills in activating communities and creating culturally responsive communications that influence policy makers around the world to work for all people. Basem’s work has had a profound impact on creating equity for marginalized and vulnerable communities across America and internationally.
 
Basem is also a former tenured Associate Professor of Visual Communications and research academic with multiple Master’s Degrees and Certificates from institutions like Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, and Rutgers. His graduate research concentrated on intercultural communications with extensive focus on Muslim Americans.

Sofia Abdi is currently the Community Engagement Manager for Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, where she is dedicated to serving and advocating for the constituents, community partners, and municipalities of the Massachusetts 7th district. In her role, Sofia addresses diverse needs spanning immigration, housing, education, public safety, and various other areas.

Previously, Sofia served as the Program Outreach Coordinator for the City of Boston’s Diversity Office under Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration. In this role, she spearheaded impactful initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the Boston Police and Fire Department. Sofia’s work involved conducting in-depth research to identify areas for improvement and implementing strategies to enhance diversity recruitment and retention efforts within these vital public safety organizations. Moreover, Sofia played a crucial role in facilitating the successful reintegration of returning citizens into society. Through her efficient and empathetic approach, she addressed the diverse needs of returning citizens, providing them with the necessary support and resources to navigate the challenges of reentry.

Sofia also gained valuable experience working on Capitol Hill in Senator Ed Markey’s office. In this capacity, she ensured constituents’ voices were effectively represented on a wide range of issues, including healthcare, education, environment, and economic development.

Sofia pursued her academic journey at Northeastern University and Cambridge College, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology. Proudly calling Boston home, she actively advocates for marginalized communities, working tirelessly to create spaces where Muslim and immigrant voices are heard and their needs addressed. Her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion underscores her passion for building equitable and empowered communities.

Omar Moustafa Bakri is the proud child of Syrian immigrants, born and raised in Philadelphia. From an early age, he has been deeply involved in the Muslim community, dedicating his time to volunteer work, community building, and mentorship. His passion for advocacy is reflected in his volunteer efforts with refugees and immigrants, supporting those navigating complex resettlement processes and helping them integrate into their new communities. He has also contributed to various political campaigns, among them the Biden for President campaign in 2020.

With a passion for public service, Omar has worked in the nonprofit sector, notably with the Partnership for Public Service in Washington, D.C. Currently, he is employed with the City of Philadelphia, serving in the District Attorney’s Office.

Omar is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his degree with honors, magna cum laude in Sociology and Political Science. He is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor at the Kline School of Law at Drexel University.
Mahanaz Ebadi is a Legislative Aide for a District Supervisor at San Francisco City Hall where she works on resolutions, ordinances and legislation improving the City and County of San Francisco. As an Attorney, she is passionate about working alongside the leaders of tomorrow regarding the injustices that women face globally. She aspires to set an example for Afghan women to be strong, outspoken, determined individuals and take active steps to partake in the betterment of themselves and their community.

The youngest of four children, Mahanaz is the child of immigrant parents who were granted political asylum back in the 1920’s during the invasion of Afghanistan. Her grandfather was given an award signed by Rosa Parks in recognition of having his name on the wall of tolerance honoring him for taking a personal and public stand against hate, injustice, and intolerance. His passion for advocacy, public interest, and the law was what inspired her to pursue her Juris Doctor.

Mahanaz completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California Davis with a Bachelors in both Psychology and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and two minors in History and UWP (University Writing Program). She graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law with a specialization in Public Interest and Family Law. Reach out to join or learn more about MAPS-California by contacting california@mapsnational.org.

Machhadie Assi (Micho) holds a position at the Michigan Democratic Caucus, as the office manager of the Michigan House Dem Communication, under the leadership of Speaker of the House Joe Tate. With over a decade of experience, Micho’s career journey exemplifies a strong dedication to justice and equality, governmental and nonprofit leadership, and operations, project management, and advocacy. Starting as a teaching assistant at the University of Michigan Dearborn’s Criminal Justice program, she transitioned to roles at the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office and later the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, notably as a special victim advocate on the flint water case, criminal prosecution unit

Micho has demonstrated proficiency in political campaigns, operational management, strategic communication, and outreach, particularly within the Arab American and Muslim American communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led operational efforts at the Michigan Muslim Community Council, establishing partnerships and leading crisis response initiatives,  serving over 27 community centers in 11 counties across Michigan.

Dedicated to enhancing diversity and inclusion, Micho advocates for voter engagement and collaborates with local and national nonprofit organizations to empower women of color and mobilize new American voters. Her insights have garnered recognition in various media outlets, and she has been a featured speaker at conventions nationally addressing topics such as political activism and immigrant empowerment. Her efforts highlight the significant role of naturalized citizens in shaping community and political landscapes, making her a prominent leader and advocate within her communities.

She has received numerous prestigious awards, recognizing her exceptional leadership, skills, and dedication to her values. Some of her notable achievements include being named a “Difference Maker” by the University of Michigan in 2017, recognized nationally among Arab America’s “40 under 40” in 2023, honored as a women leader by USA Hello in 2020, and receiving the 2022 Sgt Vincent J. Bell Service Award. She has also been acknowledged as an Arab American leader by NPNA in 2023 and distinguished as the “Voice of the Voiceless”  by the Washington Center 2023. Additionally, she has been recognized as “Women on the Move” by We Are All America.

Micho has several key areas of focus, including championing gender equality, advocating for the rights of immigrants and refugees, empowering minority women, and bolstering voting participation and civic engagement among naturalized citizens. She firmly believes that those who intimately understand the struggles should hold the reins of influence and authority.

Nancy attended Drew University, in Madison, NJ where she studied political science, German, and Arabic. After receiving her bachelor’s, Nancy went on to join the NYC Teach for America Corps in 2017, where she taught middle schoolers English language arts. After three years of teaching, Nancy went on to attend Seton Hall Law School in Newark, NJ and is now a law clerk in Middlesex County Superior Court. Nancy feels strongly that government should function to serve everyone, and seeks to use her law degree in order to support that mission. She is an astrology enthusiast and has an eclectic music taste. 

Shaz Akram has been the Executive Director of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group (WFPG), the Deputy Director of the Fulbright Association, and the Assistant Director at both the International Services Office and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center at Mississippi State University.

In these roles, she led growth of membership and developed young professional networks, introducing career counselling and social innovation projects, produced large Fulbright Conferences and TEDx salons; multiplied organizational communication capacity; and spearheaded programs like the Fulbright prize that recently honored Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany. At WFPG she led various foreign policy panels, developed programs with UN Women and the Diplomatic community in DC. She is a prolific fundraiser with a track record of growing organizational portfolios.

Shaz, a Nigerian-born Pakistani, began her career working in the Civil Superior Services (CSS) in Pakistan before moving to the US. A skilled foreign affair professional, with a career in public service and international affairs, Shaz has built an impressive network of foreign leaders, diplomats and connections within the higher education, government, and non-profit world in the US and abroad. Shaz Akram currently serves on the board of directors of the Public Diplomacy Council of America (PDCA) and is a Governor of DACOR, Inc. & Trustees of DACOR Bacon House Foundation.

Rida Hameed is a PhD Economics candidate at American University, with a double Master’s in Economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the University of Warwick. She is currently working as a Consultant at the World Bank in the Social Protection and Jobs South Asia Region (SAR) and has also worked in the Digital Development East Asia Pacific (EAP) Department in the past.

Prior to this, Rida has worked as a Data Analyst on multiple education and health-related projects funded by WHO, UNICEF and British Council. She is passionate about mentoring and currently serve as a Mentor for Graduate Applications International Network (GAIN), and Women in Economics Initiative (WiE). Rida has also served as a Mentor for the Warwick Women’s Careers Society and Warwick Women in Economics in the past.

Saeb serves as the Data Governance Specialist at the US Department of Transportation, where he coordinates priorities with the Operating Administrations for the Data Governance Working Group. He has previously worked in management and technology roles in the private sector, including ZS Associates and Accenture, and as an Open Cities Fellow for the nonprofit Sunlight Foundation.  

Saeb received a Masters in Public Policy at the University of Chicago, where he was an inaugural Pearson Institute Fellow, and a Bachelors from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was the first business graduate awarded a Fulbright Fellowship.
  
Saeb grew up as a US expatriate living Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is a history enthusiast.. 

CAPT Moira McGuire is a nurse officer with the US Public Health Service who retired in 2022 after 30 years of uniformed service.  Her final position was Division Chief of Integrative Health & Wellness at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She also established and served as Chief of the Arts in Health Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a first-of-its-kind within the Defense Health Agency.  She has worked extensively with vulnerable populations in behavioral health and oncology settings, and in 2010 was hand-selected to establish the Sea Services Warrior Clinic at the National Naval Medical Center where she used her skills and experience to craft and enhance the care of our country’s wounded, ill, and injured service members as the Program Manager.

She has been a member of the US Public Health Service Mental Health Team 3 since its inception in 2006 and served as Team Commander from 2012 to 2015.  She has deployed and/or facilitated over 16 deployments including Hurricane Sandy, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Unaccompanied Children Mission, and the Ebola response.

She is the founder of the annual Healing Arts Exhibit at Walter Reed, ongoing since 2004, which provides a showcase for those using the arts in their treatment and recovery experiences; a plank owner of the United States Public Health Service Music Ensemble and CO-Lead of the Choral Ensemble for 13 years; and a founding member of the National Initiative for Arts & Health Across the Military in partnership with Americans for the Arts. She is the daughter of a Marine opera singer/voice teacher father and pianist/painter/playwright mother who studied Irish Dance, ballet, piano, violin, flute, and harp. 

The focus of her professional work lies in the belief that creativity and expression are not only essential elements in the treatment of illness and injury, but in the prevention of them as well.

Abdus Samad Pardesi is a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit.  In his role, Samad focuses primarily on investigating and prosecuting foreign bribery and money laundering matters, involving both individuals and corporations.  He has also prosecuted a variety of other fraud cases involving healthcare billing, COVID relief, investments, and embezzlement.  Based in Washington DC, Samad works closely with U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country.  He also works closely with other regulatory agencies and law enforcement counterparts both in the United States and abroad.

Before joining the Department of Justice in January 2021, Samad was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago from 2017 to 2021.  From 2014 to 2017, Samad was an associate in the Chicago office of Ropes & Gray LLP.  From 2009 to 2014, Samad was an associate in the Chicago office of Jenner & Block LLP.  During his time at law firms, Samad primarily focused on corporate internal investigations and individual representations involving fraud, bribery, and other white collar crimes.  He also advised companies on best practices for setting up a compliance program.  Additionally, Samad maintained an active pro bono practice, representing numerous individuals in affirmative and defensive asylum proceedings, and serving on the Board of the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago.

Samad obtained a B.A. in Government from Georgetown University in 2006 and a J.D. from University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2009. 

Abeer Jafil is a professional with experience in public policy and project management. Holding a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs & Public Policy from the Biden School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware, Abeer has a solid foundation in data analysis, research, and effective communication. Abeer’s background includes roles such as Delaware Coordinator and Policy Researcher for Delaware Muslim Capitol Day, and Legal Administrative Specialist at the Delaware Department of Justice’s Fraud & Consumer Protection Division.

Abeer’s research includes a Master’s thesis on the civic and political identities of Muslim American young adults, providing valuable insights through qualitative methods. Committed to community service, Abeer has coordinated events for Riwaq Institute and participated in the Stand with Rohingya grassroots initiative. As a member of the policy committee for MAPS, Abeer hopes to continue to contribute to meaningful policy initiatives and community engagement.

Abeer is dedicated to fostering positive social change through innovative strategies and collaborative efforts.

Aisha Mahmood is a Public Health Analyst currently working in the Injury Center (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She works at the intersection of her center’s priorities of preventing adverse childhood experiences, suicide, and overdose. She is a strong believer that all children and families deserve to have healthy, thriving lives and access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments.

Aisha entered federal service through the Presidential Management
Fellowship (PMF) program. Aisha has a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy and Management from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from Emory University.

Zaineb Sharif is a Journalist and Deputy News Editor at Al Jazeera English. She currently serves at the D.C bureau overlooking reporting and correspondence on global and domestic issues between DC and Doha. With a background in journalism and politics, she also previously worked at C-SPAN focusing on coverage of the 2024 presidential and congressional cycle.

As an alum of Emerson College she earned her degree in Political Science and Journalism. During her time there she was heavily involved in leadership and advocacy on campus, serving in the Student Government Association and Vice President of the Muslim Student Association.
Maryam Noor currently works in media relations at a think tank in the higher education and workforce policy realm in Washington, D.C. She has previously gained work experience in nonprofit, career-connected learning, and higher education spaces. She has also freelanced as a journalist, allowing her to write for several local outlets in Seattle—where she began her career—and the Washington Post.

She immigrated with her family to the US from Pakistan in the early 2000s, and watching her parents figure out new systems in an unfamiliar country greatly shaped her unyielding commitment to public service.

Maryam holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Prior to this, she graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, with a dual bachelor’s degree in journalism with honors and economics.

Hadia Rehman is a passionate advocate for social impact, empowerment, and youth-driven change. Born in Massachusetts to immigrant parents from Pakistan, Hadia’s story is one of resilience and determination. When she was just six months old, her parents took three buses by foot from Massachusetts to Texas in pursuit of asylum and a better future. Despite the challenges, they built a new life in Texas and eventually achieved U.S. citizenship through perseverance and hard work.

Hadia earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with minors in Nonprofit Management and Public Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Inspired by her family’s sacrifices, she has committed her life to uplifting marginalized communities and addressing systemic challenges.

As the founder of Empower Her & I, a nonprofit focused on women’s rights and policy awareness, and NextGen News, a youth-oriented political engagement platform, Hadia combines her lived experiences with her professional expertise to advocate for equity and amplify underrepresented voices.

Now based on the East Coast, Hadia is preparing to pursue MSW/MPH and law degrees to expand her influence in public health, diplomacy, and social justice. Proudly embracing her identity as an American Muslim woman, Hadia uses her platforms to inspire resilience, foster empowerment, and build a more equitable future. 

 

Leveraging her expertise in international development, foreign policy, diplomacy, & advocacy, Fatema Z. Sumar leads efforts to fight poverty by transforming global systems in reaching vulnerable populations. She is the author of the book, The Development Diplomat: Working Across Borders, Boardrooms, and Bureaucracies to End Poverty.

Fatema most recently served as the Vice President of Compact Operations at the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a role appointed by President Biden. She oversaw all the agency’s compacts – MCC’s signature grant investment vehicle to reduce poverty. She previously served as MCC’s Deputy Vice President for Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America.

Fatema has a distinguished career in the U.S. government in both executive & legislative branches. She previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the US Department of State where she led efforts to expand regional economic and energy connectivity & as a Presidential Management Fellow. In Congress, she was a Senior Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee focused on Afghanistan, Pakistan, & the broader region.

In civil society, Fatema was the Vice President of Global Programs at Oxfam America where she oversaw regional development & humanitarian response to fight the injustice of poverty. Early in her career, she also worked at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Fatema sits on Advisory Boards for Princeton, Cornell, & Indiana universities & on the Advisory Council for Muslim Americans in Public Service. She has been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, The New Republic, The Hill, & other outlets. She is a frequent guest speaker & has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives & U.S. Senate.

Fatema has a MPA from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a BA in Government from Cornell University. She studied abroad at the American University in Cairo and received an honorary doctorate from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey.

Rummi Khan is an experienced campaign manager, project manager, and strategist at the intersection of culture, faith communities, and politics. He has over a decade of experience in public affairs, political campaigns, community engagement, and event management.

Rummi currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), a national public affairs nonprofit organization working to promote and strengthen American pluralism by increasing understanding and improving policies that impact American Muslims for the past 30 years.

Prior to MPAC, Rummi co-founded an international arts and culture initiative and served in leadership roles on Presidential, Congressional, and Federal Policy campaigns. Rummi can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

Jermaine Perry is a business operations professional specializing in operations management, systems thinking, and project management. He currently works at the U.S. Small Business Administration developing and executing program-level policies and procedures.

Jermaine is a graduate of Central State University (OH) and received his MBA from Ohio Dominican University. Additionally, he is an Excellence in Government Fellow and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

Ahmad Maaty is a Senior Economist with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), where he conducts regulatory analyses and evaluations of the societal impacts of proposed safety and environmental regulations on the U.S. oil, gas and energy transportation industries. 

He worked in a similar regulatory capacity at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including as Acting Chief Economist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and previously as an economic growth advisor with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources, among other international and multilateral institutions.

Ahmad holds a BBA from George Washington University and an MPA from Cornell University.

Learn more about MAPS at DOT here.

Asad Nawaz has formerly served successive terms as Vice President and President of the American Muslim and Arabic Cultural Association (AMACA) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Asad began his public service career in 2004 examining patent applications at the USPTO. Currently a Supervisory Patent Examiner, he leads a group of primary and junior patent examiners in the field of Multiplex Communications and VoIP. Asad has worked with European Patent Office (EPO) counterparts on the Cooperate Patent Classification System, and has served as an Advisor to the Commissioner for Patents. 

In furtherance of his strong belief in personal and professional development, Asad has served as lead Trainer in the Patent Training Academy and as a Resource Supervisor at the Office of Innovation Development. He is also in the process of obtaining his Associate Certified Coach (ICF) credential as part of USPTO’s Career Coach Program. 

Asad completed an Executive Education Certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he was also part of the Senior Executive Fellows program. Asad received a BS in Computer Science and an MS in Information Security and Assurance from George Mason University. He can be reached at professionaldevelopment@mapsnational.org.

 

Muqaddas Ejaz is a community advocate and activist. She is currently serving her second term as a member of New Jersey’s Cherry Hill Democratic Committee, where she was the first Muslim elected in 2017. Her leadership skills have been applied on various boards, including the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. The Commission works to strengthen the cultural framework of Camden County by educating the community and supporting local organizations with funding and technical assistance to deepen the interactions between cultural practitioners and residents. 

Devoted to serving others, Muqaddas remains involved in several grassroots organizations that work towards the development of local communities and the betterment of New Jersey’s diverse citizens. She serves as the Director of Community Engagement for The Muslim Network, co-led the First Annual Camden County S.U.R.E. (Students United for Respect & Equity) Summit for the youth, and co-founder of Know Your Muslim Neighbor, South Jersey. Previously, she has also served as the lead for the English as a Second Language and Computer Literacy program at the Muslim American Community Association and has designed, planned, and led other seminars, community and cultural events for the diverse community. 

Muqaddas has been recently recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) chapter of South Jersey as Community Advocate of the Year. She was also awarded the Camden County Freedom Medal in 2018 for her community service, and U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-1) recognized her as a Woman of Honor in Education. She can be reached at outreach@mapsnational.org.

 

Dr. Leila Hanafi is a Moroccan-American international development lawyer with a record of service in international organizations and  multilateral institutions. She is currently a senior legal adviser with the World Bank Group and adjunct law professor at George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C.  Leila is Founder and Principal of ARPA international Law Group, an international development law firm, and has served in legal advisory roles to United Nations agencies, including UNOPS, UNDP and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), as well as foreign governments.

Previously, Leila oversaw the International Criminal Court’s Middle East and North Africa Coalition work and served as staff attorney and programs manager of the American Bar Association (ABA) World Justice Project. Amidst the Arab Spring reforms, she was selected by the Moroccan Government as Law Commissioner in the National Inter-Governmental Commission for Policy Dialogue and Constitutional Reforms.

Leila is a graduate of American University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C., and earned her doctorate in law in the United Kingdom under a fully funded merit doctoral scholarship. She can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

 

David Hunsicker is one of the founding members of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Muslims Employee Resource Group (UMERG) and a current member of their board. He is a Senior Conflict and Peacebuilding Advisor and the Middle East Team Leader in USAID’s Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention where he specializes in issues of religion, identity and conflict. 

David spent eight years living and working in the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union, including three years as the Religion, State and Society Specialist in USAID’s Central Asian regional mission. In this capacity, he was responsible for advising USAID and U.S. Embassies in the five Central Asian republics on integrating religious communities into U.S. Government-funded development programming. Previously, David also worked at the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan where he provided support to local human rights groups and facilitated Embassy outreach to religious leaders. 

David holds a BA in Islamic Studies from the University of Michigan and an MA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization from the University of Washington. He can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

Fozia Janjua sits on the Township Council in the Philadelphia suburb of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is the first Muslim and Pakistani-American councilwoman elected to office in South Jersey. An educator who has a passion for service and social justice, Fozia is a founding board member of a local nonprofit called CommunitySJP whose mission is to unite communities through service and promote civic engagement.

A longtime community organizer and public servant, Fozia has helped people navigate the housing, schooling, and justice system throughout the years. At an early age, Fozia started volunteering, working with, and advocating for the marginalized members of her local community.  

As a first-generation Pakistani American, and one of three girls, she considers herself fortunate to be born in one of the most inclusive cities in the world, San Francisco, California, and raised by two very progressive, socially conscious parents who instilled the values of hard work, education, and especially the concept of giving back.

Fozia graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Sociology. She can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

Dr. Nader Metwalli has been a staff scientist with the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Bethesda, MD campus since early 2020. Before joining the NIH, he served as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (USPTO) working in the Alexandria, VA main office. 

Prior to Federal service, Nader has held a number of research and development centric roles throughout his career in private industry and entrepreneurship. 

Nader received his doctorate degree in bioengineering/biomedical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

Rubina Halwani is a training, education, and inclusion consultant, and currently serves as an Instructional Designer for the State of Utah.

Her career spans over 20 years across multiple industries, including education, government, and public policy.

Rubina is recognized as an industry leader in Learning and Development. Her work has received acclaim and awards for high impact. Her strengths include leadership, public service, and empathy, and she has been recognized for her collaborative work towards building spaces of inclusion and religious plurality. 

Identifying as an American Muslim of South Asian heritage, Rubina has been active in her local and Muslim communities. Born and raised in Maryland, she has lived and worked in Washington DC, San Francisco, Iowa, and Utah. 

Rubina holds a B.A. degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies.

Fazal Mirza is a co-founder and Vice-President of the Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS) employee resource group at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), where he is a Senior Contracting Officer and Team Lead with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). With a $25 million warrant, and a FAC-C Level III certification, he has procured over $830 million in goods and services for the Federal government. His procurement expertise is with R&D contracts to strengthen the nations pipeline infrastructure, and complex IT services. Fazal leads a team of Contract Specialists on a day to day basis.

During his time at DOT, he was selected to be on a detail with the DOT Office of the Senior Procurement Executive, which involved implementing a Grants Management Certification Program within DOT and implementing policy for the Department’s 11,300 Acquisition Workforce employees. In addition, Fazal was selected to start a new IT Acquisition Center of Excellence (DOT IT ACE) Contracting Office, under which all IT commodities and services would be procured.

Fazal has also participated in the Partnership for Public Service’s Excellence in Government Fellowship program. He began Federal service procuring a variety of goods and services as a DOT Contract Specialist in 2009. Fazal is a graduate from the University of Florida’s Warrington’s School of Business, and serves his local community as a coach and a Girl Scout Troop Leader. Fazal can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

Ramy Osman is Co-founder and current Treasurer of the American Muslim and Arabic Cultural Association (AMACA) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where he also coordinates Friday jumuah congregational prayers and Ramadan community iftar dinners. Ramy is a Patent Examiner of network technology patents at the USPTO, and received their Bronze Medal Award for Outstanding work performance.

Ramy also volunteers for various community and charity projects, and edited the final report, “NYC Coalition for Muslim School Holidays,” submitted to the New York City Board of Education ahead of their landmark 2015 decision to observe the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Ramy holds a master’s degree in Telecommunications, and can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

 

Maryum Saifee is Outreach Officer with Mosaic employee affinity group at the U.S. Department of State, where she is a career U.S. Foreign Service Officer. She recently took a sabbatical where she was a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Truman Center for National Policy. Her overseas postings included Embassies Cairo and Baghdad, as well as U.S. Consulate Lahore. Maryum also served in domestic assignments in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, and the Secretary’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs.

Prior to the Foreign Service, Maryum was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan focused on girls’ education and an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Seattle working with South Asian and Muslim immigrant survivors of domestic violence. She also worked for the Ford Foundation, Women Deliver, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Acumen Fund.

Maryum is an alumna of the Presidential Leadership Scholars and the Council on Foreign Relations term membership programs, and is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the University of Texas at Austin. Maryum is participating in MAPS in her personal capacity, and can be reached at board@mapsnational.org.

 

Judge Dania Ayoubi is an Administrative Law Judge in the Office of Administrative Hearings for the State of Maryland, where she presides over appeals from over thirty state agencies. 

Prior to her appointment, she served in Federal government for almost ten years, most recently as Senior Counsel in the Office of Regulations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where she crafted consumer finance regulations and developed an expertise in the areas of debt collection, mortgages, and fair lending. She was also an Attorney Advisor at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where she worked to develop policies to extend broadband internet access to underserved parts of America.  
 
Judge Ayoubi previously worked at Hughes Hubbard and Reed LLP and clerked for Chief Judge Eric T. Washington at the D.C. Court of Appeals. A graduate of Georgetown University (A.B.) and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.), Judge Ayoubi is a member of the National Association of Women Judges. 

 

Judge Faruqui has been serving as a Federal magistrate judge for the District of Columbia since September 2020.  He is the first Muslim Judge in the D.C. Circuit. 

Prior to his appointment, he was a Federal prosecutor, first in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and then in the District of Columbia. 

Over the span of over twelve years of Federal service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA), he prosecuted numerous criminal cases, most recently serving as the lead prosecutor for complex and novel crimes involving, for example, terrorists’ use of cryptocurrency, nuclear weapons proliferation, darknet sites dedicated to child exploitation, and antiquities theft. He also litigated over $700 million in money laundering and asset forfeiture proceedings. As a subject-matter expert, he has presented on cryptocurrency and anti-money laundering issues in conferences spanning from Europe to Asia and the Middle East.  

Prior to serving as a Federal prosecutor, Judge Faruqui worked at a corporate law firm where he focused on government investigations and general commercial litigation.

Judge Faruqui is a board member for Jobs for Homeless People, a non-profit that provides housing and vocational training to people in the D.C. metropolitan area. He also served as a Muslim-outreach coordinator for the U.S. Department of Justice and an as an adjunct professor at Harris-Stowe State University. He received his J.D. and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

 

​​​​Dr. Sadaf Jaffer is an educator and activist. She recently completed two terms as mayor of Montgomery Township, New Jersey. In January of 2019, she became the first South Asian woman to serve as mayor of a municipality in New Jersey, and the first Muslim woman to serve as mayor of a municipality in the United States.
 
Her signature initiatives included: creating and implementing a crisis communications plan to help Montgomery Township maintain some of the lowest COVID-19 infection and fatality rates in New Jersey; facilitating a participatory design process for the municipal center and library project started by her predecessors while securing millions of dollars in state funding; responding to demands for racial justice by coordinating meetings for Black community members and youth activists with the Township’s police leadership to build trust and mutual understanding; and inaugurating a Youth Leadership Council to elevate the voices of young people who are energized to lead.
 
​Sadaf is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in South Asian Studies at Princeton University where she teaches courses on South Asian, Islamic, and Asian American Studies. Jaffer currently serves as Chair of the Inclusion and Equity Committee of Montgomery Township and on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. She was one of the founding members of Inspiring South Asian American Women (ISAAW), a group dedicated to encouraging civic engagement among South Asian American women in New Jersey. She is on the Board of Directors for The New Agenda, an organization that promotes women’s economic empowerment and combats sexual harassment and sexual assault. 
 
​Sadaf earned her bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and obtained her PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University with a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality.

 

​​Madiha Latif is an innovative thinker with over 20 years of broad-based expertise in leadership, financial management and customer engagement.  She is very passionate about working to improve federal government operations for the greater good of her fellow Americans. 

Madiha is the Deputy Assistant Commissioner  within Revenue Collections Management (RCM) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service. She has oversight responsibility for providing executive day-to-day leadership for the Compliance and Reporting Group (CRG), in support of the Government’s collection and settlement of over $4.2 trillion in federal revenue each year (e.g., taxes, fees, fines, loan repayments, customs duties, donations) and the processing of 500 million transactions annually.

Madiha has also held leadership positions in RCM as the Agency Relationship Outreach and engagement Director where she transformed the way RCM facilitated adoption of innovative solutions to its 225+ federal agency customer universe implementing a holistic approach of a one voice methodology.  

Prior to joining the Federal government, Madiha held several leadership positions within the private sector supporting U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  She is also a veteran, having served in war zones with the active duty Army. 

Madiha has an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School, an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Maryland and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix.

 

​​​​Ahmed Mousa is a life sciences entrepreneur with a background in molecular biology and an attorney with significant IP and FDA experience. Ahmed currently serves as Senior Vice President, Corporate Operations and General Counsel of Pieris Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: PIRS), a U.S.-German biotechnology company developing cutting-edge therapies in immuno-oncology and for respiratory disease. Ahmed serves as site head for the company’s U.S. office, oversees project leadership and quality assurance, and leads Pieris’ intellectual property, corporate secretary, and legal activities, including licensing and corporate legal as well as the Company’s global patent portfolio.
 

Prior to joining Pieris, Ahmed was an Associate at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and an attorney with the law firm Covington & Burling LLP, where he represented pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in a range of matters, including significant experience in generic and biosimilar drug litigation.

A founding Advisor to MAPS, Ahmed’s experience in public service included a stint with the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and a judicial clerkship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Ahmed obtained undergraduate degrees in Government and Molecular Biology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, with research experience prior to his legal career focused on tumor biology and angiogenesis. Ahmed graduated from Georgetown Law with honors, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of International Law.

Dr. Asifa Quraishi-Landes is a full Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School, specializing in comparative Islamic and U.S. Constitutional law, with a current focus on modern Islamic constitutional theory.  Her career includes federal clerkships in the Eastern District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A past Carnegie Scholar and Guggenheim Fellow, her recent publications includes “Legislating Morality and Other Illusions about Islamic Government.”  She is currently working on a book tentatively titled “Islamic Re-constitutionalism,” which presents a non-theocratic and non-secular model of Islamic constitutionalism for today’s Muslim-majority countries.

A lifelong leader in the Muslim American nonprofit scene, Asifa currently serves as Interim Co-Executive Director of Muslim Advocates, and on the governing boards of the Muslim Public Service Network (MPSN), Bayan Claremont Islamic Graduate School, and the Muslim Youth Camp of California.  She has been a past President and Board Member of NAML (National Association of Muslim Lawyers) as well as Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights. She is also an affiliate of the Muslim Women’s League, and a Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding  (ISPU).

She has served as a Public Delegate on the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Task Force on Religion and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and as advisor to the Pew Task Force on Religion & Public Life.  

Professor Quraishi-Landes holds a doctorate from Harvard Law School and other degrees from Columbia Law School, the University of California at Davis, and the University of California at Berkeley.

Alisha develops and coordinates U.S. policy engagement in Burma as a Desk Officer at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP), where she works with government agencies, international partners, and civil society to promote security, democratic governance, and humanitarian access.  She formerly advanced policies, public-private sector cooperation, and foreign assistance programming to counter global challenges and strengthen the rule of law in South Asia as a Program Advisor with in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Prior to her Department experience, Alisha engaged with domestic and foreign policy priorities through experiences at the U.S. Senate in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SFRC) and Senator Cory Booker’s Office, leading global think tanks based in China and Belgium, international media companies, state and local government, and NGOs promoting equity, economic empowerment, and increased access to education for children in Pakistan.

Outside of her professional experiences, she is involved in organizations advancing greater representation in and accessibility to opportunities in public service, including as a Board Member for both MAPS (as Deputy Outreach Director) and the Department of State’s South Asian American Employee Association (SAAEA), as well as an Advisory Board Member for Leading Women of Tomorrow.

Alisha graduated with honors from American University with bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Political Science, minor in Chinese, and certificate in Women, Policy, and Political Leadership. She can be reached at policy@mapsnational.org.