Obama Official Joins MPAC Team
By DrSalam Al-Marayati
I am excited to share with you that former White House Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement, ZakiBarzinji, will be consulting and advising our policy team in the MPAC DC office as a Senior Policy Advisor. Zaki will assist in developing a succinct policy agenda for federal and state issues, broadening MPAC’s network of advocacy partners, and establishing relationships with key policymakers.
Through this work, Zaki will help strengthen MPAC’s overall ability to engage with principle, advocate with substance, and defend liberty with strength when it comes to policy matters affecting the American Muslim community.
Most recently, Zaki served in the White House as Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement and President Obama’s Liaison to Muslim-Americans. As the first senior official to hold that position, he was responsible for significantly deepening engagement and representation of Muslim communities across the country, and highlighted narratives of both triumphs and challenges at the highest levels of government.
Prior to joining the White House, Zaki served as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. In this role, he was responsible for representing Virginia to the federal government, Congress, and other states. Zaki was also responsible for drafting the National Governors Association’s policy platform on immigration, and lobbied fellow Governors to continue accepting Syrian refugees at the height of xenophobic rhetoric in December 2015.
I’ve known and worked with Zaki for many years and can attest to his passion for MPAC’s mission of improving understanding and policies that affect American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Please join me in welcoming Zaki!
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