RNA - Mayor Jorge O. Elorza has selected eight Rhode Islanders to serve on the city's Muslim American Advisory Board, a newly created panel that aims to offer helpful guidance to the mayor on policy decisions affecting Muslims, to find ways to empower the Muslim community and to foster greater dialogue between religions.
The creation of the advisory board follows Elorza's executive order creating the board. It is part of his One Providence initiative, an initiative to "protect and serve every resident of the city regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, political affiliation, religion, or disability."
"I look forward to working with this group of accomplished and committed community leaders," said Elorza. "They will help us promote a welcoming and inclusive Providence that is supportive of every individual in our city."
The nominees for the panel are:
Anne Walsh, a lifelong Providence resident and an activist who serves as a program manager at Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston;
Dr. Ehsun Mirza, a native of Pakistan who is on the staff at Kent Hospital and serves as a sounding board member for The Providence Journal's Race/Discrimination Committee;
Gale Aronson, who has served various entities, including the Board of Directors for Reach Out and Read and the Refugee Dream Center.
Dr. Khaled Almilaji, a native of Syria who is a candidate in the Masters of Public Health program at Brown University.
MaryKae Wright, a longtime advocate education reform who has worked for the Refugee Resettlement Program at Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island and the International House of Rhode Island.
Monsurat Ottun, a Pawtucket native with skills in community advocacy and social policy who is both a lawyer and an active member of the Muslim Community Center of Rhode Island.
Muraina Akinfolarin, a resident engineer for the state Department of Transportation who directs Oasis International.
Dr. Zubeda Jalalzai, a Rhode Island College English professor who has also taught courses dealing with Islam.
The members of the advisory board will serve a term of two years.
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