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Date of contribution: 3/7/19
Organization: Islamophobia Studies Center @ UC Berkeley
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I am currently taking a course on Mapping & Spatial Reasoning to further enhance my understanding of reading maps, analyzing data from multiple sources & communicating valuable data to our communities. I am also being introduced to geospatial technology.

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On 4/14/2020, I began volunteering with the United Nations online volunteer program to assist the research & development of grant proposals to take action against COVID-19 in Cameroon, Africa. The volunteer position will end on 7/7/2020.

Dear Applicant Review Panel,

I am pleased to provide my strong recommendation for Isra Ahmad to serve on the 2020 California Redistricting Commission. I have known Isra for three years as both the Deputy Director and Healthy Communities Branch Director, at the County of Santa Clara's Public Health Department, and I am confident that she has the skills and experiences to succeed in achieving the goal set forth for the 2020 Redistricting Citizen's Commission.

Isra is known in the branch and across the department for her subject matter expertise in tobacco control research and program evaluation. She has a firm grasp of data analysis, epidemiological techniques, and sophisticated and complex frameworks. Isra also tackles issues with a solution-oriented mindset. I believe these qualities would be a unique contribution in her role as a commissioner and make her a strong candidate for the position. For example, under my direction, Isra lead an evaluation training series with the Health Communities Branch. The goal of this series was to work with staff on common language, strategies and techniques that would increase staff capacity and understanding of evaluation methodology. In this training series, there were 4 trainings covering basic evaluation terminology, data visualization strategies, development of logic models and recommendations for application. Isra trained the branch, consisting of about 50 people. In this leadership role, she displayed her strong analytical skills and her ability to teach those skills to her colleagues.

I have also seen Isra's keen ability to be impartial and an effective communicator. For example, in 2017 the Healthy Communities Branch received notice that the lease for our office would be terminating without renewal upon the end of the prior lease agreement terms. This sparked urgency in the department to find a new location for an office staff of about 60 people. Isra participated in meetings early on in the process between staff, union representatives, fleet and facilities department and executive leadership. She was able to convey the messages and concerns of the staff, all the while able to understand the perspectives of leadership in the department. Her ability to see both sides and understand the limitations and obstacles facing the department overall allowed for her to play a mediation role between the parties. During that process, Isra was professional and respectful. Her personal views on the move process and overall project management of the move did not impact her ability to rally folks to focus on the goal that ever so abruptly became a priority in the branch.

Isra has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, is extremely organized and responsible, and demonstrates deep commitment to community. She is involved in the Department's staff engagement committee as well as the applied research workgroup, data and technology strategic planning workgroup and actively participates in the race and health equity committee. It is with these skills, commitments, and lived experiences that she is eager to serve on the Commission. Further, her desire for an equitable California where all citizens are given a fair chance at health and wellbeing fuels her passion to serve her home state. She has already shown her commitment to Californian communities through her everyday work, and I believe that serving on the commission will give her an opportunity to further showcase her love and passion for California's diversity and bright future.

Isra has proven herself to be methodical, analytical, collaborative, motivated, passionate and a critical thinker in the work she does in the Public Health Department, and I am confident that she would bring these qualities to the Commission.

September 12, 2019

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to recommend Isra Ahmad for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission for California. Isra would make an exceptional commissioner because of her integrity, her analytic skills as an epidemiologist, her appreciation for diversity, and her calm impartiality.

I have known Isra since 2012 and in several different capacities. I first met Isra when she was a student at San José State University, where I am a professor. In the past four years, I have developed a closer relationship with Isra as a colleague after recruiting her as an adjunct faculty member to our department, collaborating with her on a research study and manuscript, and witnessing her mentor my undergraduate students in her role at the Santa Clara County Public Health Department's Tobacco Free Communities Program. This has been an immensely gratifying collegial relationship; I hope it will span our careers. Throughout, Isra has shown integrity and a deep commitment to the health and wellbeing of our state.

Isra would make an excellent commissioner because of her technical statistical analytic skills. Isra is a graduate trained epidemiologist and biostatistician with her Master of Public Health from U.C. Berkeley. I have observed Isra's technical skills directly. For example, Isra led cleaning, coding, and analysis of a dataset that included several complicated questions. She thoughtfully provided the research team (which included undergraduate students with little statistical background) with context on the coding of variables on race so that the entire team could participate in decision-making about where to maintain complexity and where to consolidate categories - explaining the statistical impact as well as the social impact of these decisions.

Isra's appreciation for diversity comes from professional as well as personal experience. Professionally, Isra has focused for the last decade on tobacco control and the impacts of tobacco on communities, especially communities of color. Isra was a student leader at SJSU in the effort to make the campus smoke-free. While tobacco is a leading cause of death among all groups, there are significant disparities with people of color experiencing higher rates of poor outcomes largely connected to targeting by tobacco companies and uneven policy enforcement. Isra is steeped in the science of these disparities.

From a personal perspective, Isra is a Muslim woman of color who has written about her experience with a chronic disease that is much more commonly diagnosed in white women. She has turned this private experience of suffering into public purpose by publishing an essay in JAMA Neurology titled "Nontraditional Diagnoses in Minority Populations: White Disease, Brown Body," that seeks to educate clinicians so that they will consider a wider range of potential diagnoses when treating patients who may not fit their narrow expectations of the at risk population for a particular diagnosis.

Isra is a public service oriented team player and I know her to be impartially committed to sound policy, fairness, and democracy. I became aware of Isra's reputation for these qualities before I met her. She had been named the University's Outstanding Graduating Senior and my colleagues were tremendously proud of the public service contributions she had made to our department, University, and community as a student leader and peer teaching assistant. She cares deeply about her state and is committed to inclusivity, fairness, and equal representation. She is intelligent, dedicated, dependable, and has a strong history of facilitating the participation of others - from her role as a peer teaching assistant through to her mentorship of undergraduates at the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. As a Californian, I would feel proud to have Isra on the Citizens Redistricting Commission and would feel confident in my state's democracy.

If I can be of any further assistance, or provide you with any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Miranda Worthen
Associate Professor
Department of Health Science & Recreation
San Jose State University

2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission
Application ID #: 17733
Letter #: 3

Dear Applicant Review Panel,

I am writing to provide my enthusiastic recommendation for Isra Ahmad for the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I currently serve as the Director of the Diversity Respect Equity Action Multiculturalism Office (DREAM) at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. In my 7 years advancing diversity at UC Berkeley, Isra is one of the most tenacious and dedicated students that I have had the honor of working with.

I first met Isra about 6 years ago when she was part of a highly competitive Health Career Opportunities Program (HCOP) at UC Berkeley. Isra was the only non-UC Berkeley undergraduate participating in the program so I had heard about her from the director before I had even met her. It was incredibly rare for students that were not UC Berkeley undergraduates to participate (in fact Isra is the only one that I know of) not only because of the additional logistical and administrative burden of enrolling a non UC student for one summer, but because there are so many UC Berkeley undergraduate students that are competing for these 6 coveted research positions. As I worked very closely with the director of the program, I had heard about Isra's deep passion for advocacy, serving her community and professional demeanor that had impressed the selection committee. At the time I served as the Diversity Outreach Coordinator and my role with the students was to inform and educate them about graduate school options. The ultimate goal of HCOP was to provide the students with statistical & analytic skills through conducting their own research project from start to finish; as well as leadership and professional development skills through the building of a cohort to better prepare them for a graduate program. Of the hundreds of presentations I have done over the years, I know that it is truly exceptional students that utilize the resources provided and cultivate longer term connections with our office - Isra was exactly that type of student. She built her relationship with me from that point on and it's been a pleasure to see her spirit, passion for equity and social justice and dedication to serving those who have been the most marginalized influence her personal and professional journey.

Within a year of completing HCOP, Isra was admitted as a graduate student at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health Epidemiology and Biostatistics Master of Public Health program. The competitive program is designed to train scholars in high quality research skills and analytical thinking. Given Isra's success in conducting an 8-week original research project through HCOP, it was no surprise that Isra thrived in her analytic coursework in her graduate program. Isra exemplified a keen interest and ability to retain the information being communicated and then to immediately translate this to her own experiences and her own community. For example, Isra shared with me her passion and interest in her Social Epidemiology course, one of the most challenging electives within the graduate school curriculum. This course covered the history of redistricting and redlining and Isra drew on multiple dimensions of her lived experiences to apply real life examples of what she was learning in Social Epidemiology. Although I was not her instructor, serving as her mentor allowed me to see Isra's eagerness to share information she learned and engage in critical conversations about strategies to improve existing courses. As my role is working to recruit and retain more students from underrepresented backgrounds, Isra and I had many conversations about how what she was learning about systemic injustices like racism, the criminalization of poverty and other forms of oppression relate directly to her experience in the classroom and as a public health professional. I have no doubt that her lived experiences coupled with the academic rigor of the curriculum at UC Berkeley has given her the proper analytical training to meet the demands of the tasks for the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission.

As her mentor at UC Berkeley I've seen Isra's ability to be a voice for the voiceless. During her tenure, the School of Public Health was administering a series of surveys and holding open forums around racial inequities and racism that community members (students, staff, faculty) were experiencing while at the School of Public Health. During these open forums, Isra participated and shared her opinions on the lack of equity and understanding of marginalized groups at UC Berkeley. Isra spoke convincingly, always with the lens of lifting up those around her. Despite resistance from staff and faculty in acknowledging the micro and macro aggressions many of our students from underrepresented backgrounds face while in their graduate studies, Isra maintained an open channel of conversation, actively listening while also staying strong in the validity of her lived experience. This is a challenging balance to strike - listening to others, while not diminishing your own struggles - particularly given the power dynamics when students are interfacing with faculty who quite literally can prevent them from graduating. Isra stood gently yet firmly because of her belief that given her privilege of being a graduate student at UC Berkeley, she had the responsibility to make it better for those who came after her.

The level of resiliency and commitment that Isra has was shown to me in a new light during her last semester at UC Berkeley, [Redacted] she picked herself up, [Redacted] advocated for herself and finished the program strong. I would say that this impressed me, but in reality this was consistent with all of the strength and fortitude I had seen Isra demonstrate from the very first time I met her. When Isra expressed her interest in serving on the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission, I was thrilled that someone who has confidence in their voice and the ability to lift the voices of others was seeking out this immensely important opportunity. I am confident that she will commit herself to the diverse communities within California and the process of redrawing district lines with an open mind and open heart. She has the highest caliber of statistical and academic training that makes her well equipped to serve on the commission, but its' her life experiences that will allow her to be relatable to the diversity across California. She will ensure that voices are heard, regardless of personal differences in beliefs and practices.

Isra is an excellent written and oral communicator and possesses excellent analytic skills. She's personable, committed to serving her community and others in California and fun to be around. She finds the light in tough situations and is able to shine through, creating a path for everyone around her. She is responsible, committed and determined to reach her goals and the goals she commits to.

Earlier I stated that I met Isra about 6 years ago, but Isra once reminded me that we had met a year prior at an outreach event I was tabling at for the School of Public Health. She tells me that from that initial conversation we had, she was sold on being the first college graduate and the first to pursue graduate school in her family. I meet thousands of prospective students each year, and I didn't recall meeting Isra. But she made sure that she would not be forgotten. It is with these experiences and considerations that I provide my strongest recommendation for Isra Ahmad to serve on the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission.

I had the great pleasure of working with Isra'a for two years on an annual community event that serves more than 300 adults and children. During this time, I saw how Israa volunteered many hours of her time and was eager to contribute in every way she could. I also appreciated her promptness and timeliness in getting our work to the finish line. Without people like her, we would not be able to support this annual event that serves a large proportion of our community!

Thank you Rasha for your kind words!!

Yo conozco a Isra Ahmad por varios años. Es una persona muy luchadora a favor de equidad y igualdad. Entiende las necesidades de las comunidades vulnerables y por lo tanto hace todo lo posible para proveer apoyo, información y encontrar soluciones para que ellos tengan la voz y representación que se merecen. En su tiempo libre ella participa en talleres, entrenamientos y eventos que la ayuden a incrementar su conocimiento de las cosas que pasan en su comunidad al igual que en condado de Santa Clara. Tambien se toma el tiempo de ir a otras comunidades para determiner como son diferentes y como pueden aportar. En el trabajo, ella a tomado el liderazgo de muchos projectos al los cuales han tenido excelente resultados. Tambien a entrenado a personas de la comunidad y de su equipo de trabajo para implementar projectos, eventos, y actividades.

He visto como trabaja Isra. Es muy inteligente y buena para analizar datos y tendencias de data. Analiza cada situación en todos los aspectos antes de tomar decisiones. Ella ha trabajado con muchas personas de diversas edades y de diferente origen. Por ejemplo, con estudiantes universitarios, ninos, padres, personas que hablan otras lenguas aparte de Ingles. Aun que ella no es Latina, practica hablando el español con sus amistades y miembros de la comunidad.

Isra seria la persona adecuada para trabajar en la Comisión de Zonificar de ciudadanos de 2020 por que puede aportar sus experiencias y estrategias para asegurarse que haya igualdad en las zonas. Su ética profesional ayudara que las zonas sean representadas con equidad. Para ella es muy importante que todos los ciudadanos tengan voz, se sientan empoderados y no sean excluidos. Ella es muy buena trabajando en equipo, por lo tanto, trabajara bien con los otros comisionados. Les pido que la consideren para ser parte de esta comisión.

Muchas gracias por su tiempo y por considerer a Isra Ahmad.

Gracias por su comentario, Martha!

Thank you for your comment, Martha!

I've been a close friend of Isra's for over 20 years and I couldn't think of a better person to serve on this commission. For as long as I've known Isra, she has had the passion for serving the community, in ways both big and small. Her academic career was spent focused on researching and promoting public health issues. And her passion and commitment for public service didn't stop after college. She continues with her work on tobacco-free programs, constantly seeking ways to contribute to a healthier society. Additionally, Isra has always been an advocate for the underrepresented. She strives for everyone to have a fair chance of having their voices heard. She's also experienced in teaching and mentoring the youth, allowing them to make educated and informed decisions. Her many years of experience outline her desire to equality and commitment to the community. I know for a fact that she is passionate and dedicated about everything she does and will make an extremely valuable and positive member of this commission.

The comment contains a certification by the person providing the comment that the information included in the comment is true and correct and based on the author's personal knowledge.

Thank you for your comment My!

I think Isra would be a great person to select for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. I have always been impressed by her maturity despite the fact that she is only in her twenties. Since I met her I have known her to be adamant about standing up for what she believes is fair. This is clear to see in her tobacco research work. It impressed me in our statistics class that she could gather, analyze and present the data to put together a compelling argument that supported the idea that traditional tobacco use can influence e-cigarette use. It was clear when working with her that this research is something that she is passionate about because she sees it as a way to stand up for the health of our communities. Isra is a strong candidate for this commission that would put the interest of California's communities first.

The information included in my comment is true and correct and based on my personal knowledge.

Thank you for your comment Jessica!

I met Isra Ahmad in August 2014 through the epidemiology/biostatistics Master's in Public Health program at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health. She is a highly motivated woman who cares deeply about diversity and equality. Throughout graduate school she frequently highlighted lack of representation in government and other decision-making bodies. A strong advocate for minority populations, she wrote an article called "Nontraditional Diagnoses in Minority Populations: White Disease, Brown Body" published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology in September 2017. The article can be found at the following link: [Redaction]. The JAMA Neurology article provides evidence of Isra's desire to advocate for minority populations, diversity, and fairness. She suggests that information on multiple sclerosis should be inclusive of all races and not just white populations.

After going through graduate school with Isra, she and I were colleagues at San Jose State University (SJSU) during the 2017-18 school year teaching epidemiology to undergraduate students as adjunct faculty members in the Health Science and Recreation Department. Isra demonstrated her dedication to California's communities by preparing a diverse population of SJSU leaders and practitioners to promote health and improve the environments in which we live. She cultivated a learning community, advanced scholarship, and acted as an agent of social change within the domain of public health. I talked to many of Isra's students, and they greatly appreciated her inclusiveness and fair treatment of all students in her class. In addition to teaching epidemiology, she analyzed data in a cross-sectional study performed at SJSU by using Poisson regression with robust variance to examine the relationship between depression and transfer status among students.

Working for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and having taught at SJSU, Isra shows an unwavering commitment to serve California. Isra is guided by a pure heart and has integrity and leadership. Pairing those qualities with her dedication to diversity and equality as well as her strong analytical skills make her an ideal candidate to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. I have the utmost confidence in her abilities, and I recommend her without reservation.

This comment is true and correct and based on my personal knowledge.

Thank you for your comment Daniel!

Isra has been committed to improving communities and strengthening the tools and knowledge of everyone she encounters from the first day I met her in college. She is passionate, driven, open-minded, respectful, and believes in equality for everyone. I have never seen her back down from a challenging situation, however she knows that open discussions and compromise are required to reach a solution. During our time in school, she was heavily involved in the tobacco free campus efforts with Campuses Organized & United for Good Health (COUGH). She volunteered with Comida Casera to distribute food to families, recruit volunteers, and address client concerns. Isra has a level of excitement and passion to help others and better our communities as best as she can. Her past experiences allowed her to work with many groups and she seamlessly integrated herself to really understand who she was working with and observe from their perspective.

Thank you for your comment Cassie!

October 25, 2019

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

As a colleague and friend of Isra Ahmad, it is my great pleasure to strongly recommend Isra to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. I am confident that Isra's academic, professional, and diverse volunteer experience has prepared her to serve on the Commission.

Since 2011, Isra has been a dedicated champion of Tobacco-Free communities across the great state of California. I have known Isra in her capacity as an Intern for California Youth Activism Network (CYAN), President of COUGH@SJSU (Campuses Organized and United for Good Health at San Jose State University), Youth Liaison for the Board of Directors at Truth Initiative, and most recently as a Research and Evaluation Specialist with the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department.

Isra interned for CYAN during a unique and challenging time as we were working towards a smoke-free campus policy at San Jose State University (SJSU). Isra, at the time, was a new student at SJSU; however that didn't stop her from rallying her peers in support for a smoke-free campus, engaging over 2,000 participants in a campus wide smoke-free campus survey (students, faculty, and staff), establishing a recognized smoke-free campus club called COUGH@SJSU, hosting multiple tobacco prevention Days of Action events, organizing countless cigarette butt litter cleanups, speaking at the California State University Chancellor's Board meeting in support for smoke-free campuses, and so much more.

Today, Isra works tirelessly at the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department to increase community awareness of the impact of tobacco use by engaging residents, key community partners, and elected leaders in implementing strategies to reduce the appeal of tobacco in the community.

I have been extremely impressed with Isra's skills, but most importantly her commitment to her community and passion for diversity, fairness, and inclusion. I have no doubt that Isra will bring the same enthusiasm, rigor, and dedication to the Commission. It is clear to me, as I hope it is to you, that Isra Ahmad, would be an exceptional Commissioner, one that would contribute greatly to the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

I am confident that Isra possesses the qualities that will serve her well as a 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. If you need more information or specific examples, please do not hesitate to contact me. As a recommendation letter likely only provides a snapshot of her talents and achievements, I would be happy to further elaborate on my time working with her.

The comment contains a certification by the person providing the comment that the information included in the comment is true and correct and based on the author's personal knowledge.

Sincerely,
Tonya Veitch

Thank you for your comment Tonya!!

It is with great honor that I submit this public comment on behalf of Isra Ahmed to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

I met Isra over a year ago as a fellow teaching colleague at San Jose State University (SJSU) for a potential research opportunity. I immediately admired Isra's humility and commitment to diversity, fairness and inclusion. As public health practitioners, these are important values in our field to live by. I was so impressed with meeting her that I asked her to be a guest lecturer in my undergraduate courses with over 100 students total.

Isra made a powerful impression with both myself, the other fellow guest speaker, and the students. First, she shared how she was an SJSU student just like them, raised in the Bay Area to immigrant parents. Second, she shared how she found her way to UC Berkeley's School of Public Health as a Masters of Public Health student and the struggles she experienced while there. Isra and I connected on this point as I was also a graduate student at UC Berkeley and shared many of the same struggles as a woman of color. Third, she shared how her personal trajectory led her to encourage students to follow their dreams, never give up and refuse to be quiet in the face of injustice.

Isra is a woman of great integrity and grit. She lives by her values and is committed to serving the diverse communities of California. After she graduated with her master's degree from UC Berkeley, she purposely chose a county health department position in Santa Clara County where she could utilize the quantitative analytical skills she learned in Berkeley. She could have found a job anywhere else in the country but she wanted to come back to California.

I can not think of another Californian more qualified to serve in this capacity on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions and thank you for the opportunity to offer my support to such an incredible candidate.

Thank you for your comment Vicky!!

I have the privilege and pleasure of knowing Isra Ahmad as both a colleague and invaluable friend. For as long as I have known Isra, there are two very distinct notions I have come to observe from her. One is her uncanny ability to understand complex and challenging ideas while having the ability to easily articulate them to others. And second is her unwavering commitment to the improvement of the health of others through the scope of Public Health. These are both traits I believe would be imperative for someone serving the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Isra enjoys challenges. Whether that includes a simple board game or arguing a theoretical constructs, she is attentive and observant to what is in front of her. She revels in the opportunity to learn, and bows with grace should the challenge precede her - though from experience, this is an uncommon occurrence. Regardless, of the outcome they are always positive situations for her. We often debrief and discuss these things and although they may not seem apparent to me, she points out the lessons and what can be done to improve should that situation occur again.

This carries over well into her work at the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, where she lead various research and evaluation needs for an entire program. I have witnessed first hand her tenacity to improve the livelihood of others, with the limited resources we sometimes have. She is dedicated to being a part of the solution, in whatever capacity that may be.

I fully support Isra serving on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Thanks for your comment Juan!

The comment contains a certification by the person providing the comment that the information included in the comment is true and correct and based on the author's personal knowledge.

Isra Ahmad is an intellectual, passionate, and full of empathy. I have the pleasure of being her colleague, but most importantly her friend. She exudes determination and enthusiasm towards creating lasting and positive change within her community and workplace. Isra has a work ethic that is admirable, as she motivates me to dedicate more time and passion into my daily work. Isra accepts complex challenges and solves them with grace and a positive attitude. She is constantly reading in between the lines and offers valuable input regardless of the situation. Isra will easily be a beneficial asset to the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Isra has my full support on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Thank you for your comment AJ!

Isra Ahmad is highly recommended and best fit to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. She is passionate, caring and honest. As her colleague, I have witnessed her dedication to the community and making sure voices are heard. She is always fair and inclusive in her judgement and strives to include community voices in every step of her work. Considering her role to serve the community, she makes sure that her personal views are not impacting her decisions but rather the voice and needs of the community are priority in all her decision-making processes. Isra is articulate, analytical and well versed; she would be a great asset and would add much value to the Commission. It would be a loss for the Commission if she was not selected.

Thank you for your kind words and your support Somayeh!

Isra is one of the most passionate and hardworking people I know. I have been fortunate enough to work alongside her with different projects and have seen firsthand her qualifications. She is skilled and knowledgeable on different aspects such as research, advocacy, and policy. She is willing to go out of her way to learn and adapt to anything that comes her way. She is strong willed and compassionate and will work hard to fight for equity. I believe that she will be a good representation for the citizens and represent fairness and equality.

Thank you for your comment and support Marina! I am so proud of how far you have come with our team :)

I am confident that Isra Ahmad is an ideal candidate for the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Isra has a strong commitment to diversity, fairness, and inclusion, and strong analytical skills that will serve her well in this role. I know Isra from our time together in a graduate program at UC Berkeley. Isra was a student in the epidemiology and biostatistics Masters program which strengthened her abilities in research methods, and she was very involved in social justice efforts both on and off campus. I admire Isra's dedication to service; the Commission and state of California would benefit greatly from having her voice at the table.

Thank you for your support Michelle!

Working with Isra for the past 12 months have been enlightening and engaging. We have partnered on several projects that have taken in account priority populations, diversity and inclusion. I have been impressed with Isra's passion, dedication and professionalism to provide a voice for under served groups and give insight into their daily struggles through statistical data analysis.

Thank you for your support Amador! I really appreciate it!

I met Isra in 2014 when she was a University of California, San Francisco Truth Initiative (formerly American Legacy Foundation) fellow receiving training in conducting research using previously confidential tobacco industry documents. I was immediately impressed by her passion for learning new skills. I also mentored her as she applied to doctoral programs. Although Isra did not find a doctoral program that was a good fit, this did not stop her from pursing her passion to increase the diversity of representation in authorship of peer reviewed literature and in the types of tobacco products covered in the literature. Isra took the initiative to start her own project analyzing the tobacco industry documents to achieve this goal. She analyzed tobacco industry documents and wrote a manuscript on tobacco industry interest in hookah (otherwise known as waterpipe). After difficulty finding the right journal for the paper, she sought my council to improve the manuscript. Over the next year and a half, I witnessed Isra's analytical skills at play. She conducted analyses of the literature to update the paper and quickly learned how to improve her paper, where to add more content and evidence, and took my feedback in stride. Through her work on this manuscript, Isra was able to achieve her greater goal of increasing the diversity of published authors in tobacco control and in the tobacco products discussed in the literature. Isra published her paper on the tobacco industries' attempts at imitating waterpipe technology in 2018 in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, Addictive Behaviors. While we worked together, Isra demonstrated great persistence, a can-do attitude, and was always eager to learn from those around her. I believe Isra would serve diligently on the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission.

Thank you for your comment Lauren! I appreciated you and all your support/mentorship throughout the years!

Ms. Isra Ahmad worked for me between July-Sept 2016 as an intern for the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) at the University of California Office of the President in Oakland, CA. Ms. Ahmad arrived passionate about reducing tobacco-related health disparities and promoting health equity in tobacco control. Her summer project entailed analyzing data from progress reports of funded research grants to quantify dollars funded and scientific contributions for specific groups in California who are disproportionately impacted by their tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases. The evaluation required a detailed analysis of grants focused on tobacco-related issues impacting California's racial/ ethnic minorities, youth and young adults, people with mental illness, rural smokers and smokers from lower-income groups. Ms. Ahmad spent considerable time scanning printed documents and identifying scientific findings from research projects funded over a 12-year time period. She entered data in a spreadsheet and conducted analyses to describe grant money allocation to specific groups. Ms. Ahmad gained a better understanding of the devastating impact smoking has on lower-income people of color and some recent immigrants, which is obscured by the state's low smoking rate. She presented evaluation results to a state governing body that develops the statewide strategic plan for tobacco control. She also presented results internally. Ms. Ahmad worked in a diligent and fair manner to elucidate funding gaps and strengths including impactful research findings. She also co-reviewed scientific papers being considered for publication, which led to her writing and publishing her own paper synthesizing the science on hookah use among vulnerable groups, with an emphasis on Arab American tobacco use. I'm fully confident that Ms. Ahmad would provide relevant and equitable input in her duties on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Thank you for your comment Dr. Hickman!

I am very fortunate to have had Isra as a lecturer of epidemiology during my undergraduate career at San Jose State University (SJSU). SJSU is a public university located in one of the most diverse and progressive areas in California (the Bay Area) and the students in my class clearly reflected this diversity. As an instructor, Isra cultivated a learning environment that was safe, inclusive, and fair. As someone who was once in our shoes as a public health student, Isra was widely respected as she exemplified what it truly meant to advocate for your community. Isra's unwavering commitment and passion for serving the community made her a role model for me and my peers.

Since graduating, I've also had the great pleasure of having Isra as a mentor. Isra has been one of my biggest advocates during my pursuit of graduate level education. She has gone above and beyond to make sure that I was able to take advantage of all the opportunities I may have been unaware of as a first generation Vietnamese American woman and first generation college student. Isra's investment in upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident in matters small and large, whether it be in a classroom, county, or the entire state of California. I see no one better fit to serve on the 2020 Redistricting Commission than my old instructor and lifelong mentor.

Thank you for your support Thy! And I am so proud of your recent accomplishments. I have no doubts that you will be making great positive change in your career ahead! :)

Change. Empower. Advocate.

Just a few of the many things Isra is capable of. I met Isra at San Jose State University (SJSU) while we were both students. She has always been driven and passionate about her work. Never letting any situation hold her back. Her passion for the community shines through her professional work experiences and daily conversations. No matter what, she is always there to support others in reaching their optimal potential.

Isra Ahmad is a champion for change. From creating a smoke-free SJSU to now serving the community with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, she has always advocated for healthier communities and is a prime example of putting community first. Her work uplifts marginalized communities and creates a sense of empowerment.

Isra has been always been able to build a connection with the people around her, whether in school, work, or throughout the community. She has a way of relating to and understanding people to make them feel comfortable and heard. That speaks volumes of her ability to be inclusive of the diversity we see throughout California.

I'm honored to call Isra a friend. Isra has the drive and sense of determination that is untouched. I cannot think of a better individual to serve on the 2020 California Redistricting Commission.

Thank you for your support comment and support Navdeep! I really appreciate it!!

I am pleased to provide this comment to assist commission reviewers in understanding the dedication and enthusiasm with which Ms. Isra Ahmad approaches community service. I was a professional colleague, working closely with Ms. Ahmad at the time she worked with the California Youth Advocacy Network. Collaboratively, with a small group of her dedicated peers, Ms. Ahmad advanced policy efforts to create healthier college campuses throughout California.

Among this group of talented young people, Ms. Ahmad made a lasting impression on me as a serious person who tackled real problems in her community with grace, thoughtfulness, and an understanding of sensible solutions. She built collaborative relationships, inclusive of many viewpoints, and sought constructive paths to agreement.

Ms. Ahmad sticks to her commitments, and becomes deeply invested in issues that matter. I watched her proficiency in tobacco control grow parallel to her ambitions - from local tobacco control work, to a national approach, and then back to her community. She sought progressively more challenging opportunities to build her analytical skills, and then applied those skills to her public health work. Now, as an Evaluator, she examines community health factors and the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve community health. In this role, she is a truth-teller for the community about which interventions are working, and where there is still room for improvement.

I am fully confident that Ms. Ahmad would be a fair and effective member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Ms. Ahmad's experience in public service, analytical talents, and commitment to health equity make her a sound and trustworthy choice for the Commission.

Thank you for your comment Beth!

I am writing to express my strong support of Isra Ahmad serving as a member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. As an underrepresented racial and ethnic member of the California community, I can attest that Isra understands the importance of diversity and inclusion as it pertains to drawing fair and equitable maps for California's congressional districts. I can also assure you that her ability to be impartial, as evident through her professional experience, would greatly benefit our California communities.

Isra and I each earned our bachelor degrees from the California State University system, as well as our Master of Public Health degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. While attending UC Berkeley, we were competitively selected to enroll in a prestigious university leadership development program focused on training top-performing graduate students in leading public health initiatives. Each of our leadership projects allowed us to partner with non-profits in local communities to consult specifically on issues of diversity and inclusion. We each worked in interdisciplinary teams to meet the goals of our projects. Our service to these projects was enhanced by cultural sensitivity training facilitated by our program leadership. Our training included: role-playing challenging cultural scenarios, attending lectures on historic discriminatory policies and practices (i.e., redlining), and preparing lessons for our group on appropriate and inappropriate behavior towards individuals based on their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation. We also had the privilege to meet with Dr. Nancy Krieger, who first developed the Ecosocial Theory, which delves into social determinants of health and describes and explains causal relationships in disease distribution.

Following graduate training, Isra has gone on to gain further professional public health experience working with the Santa Clara Public Health department, addressing the needs of diverse California communities, which includes collaboration on public health initiatives that address improving access to care, reducing homelessness, and promoting inclusion of underrepresented populations. For example, I have volunteered with Isra in multiple health outreach events focused on engaging underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Isra has demonstrated an ability to effectively serve members of these communities in a caring and compassionate manner.

I believe Isra is eligible and extremely well qualified to meet the responsibilities required of this important role and will leverage her personal and professional experience, and compassionate spirit, to assist the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission in accomplishing their goals. I wholeheartedly recommend Isra as an excellent candidate for this position, and I have no doubt her unique voice, interest to collaborate and serve, and understanding of cultural differences will help lead to a successful outcome. I hope your committee judges her application most favorably. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I am happy to elaborate.

Thank you for your comment Jeremy!!

I met Isra in a a graduate epidemiology class at UC Berkeley. I think her background in epidemiology and public health give her the analytical skills needed for the citizens redistricting commission, as well as a great perspective and background on how diversity, inclusion, and fairness affect the health and functioning of a community. She has demonstrated her personal understanding of how race and ethnicity affects assumptions about disease and health and subsequent healthcare with a publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association about nontraditional diagnoses in minority populations: [Redacted]. I believe Isra has the necessary skills, dedication, and passion to serve on this commission!

Thank you for your comment Brooke!

It is my honor to support Isra Ahmad's application to the 2020 Citizen's redistricting commission. I have known Isra since 2014 when we both participated in a fellowship program focused on tobacco control and leadership development. Following the program, we collaborated to start a network for fellowship alumni. We have continued to stay in touch and keep each other informed of our work, priorities, and areas of interest. Since I have known her, Isra has impressed me as a practical, analytical thinker complemented by a passionate spirit. She has had a long-standing commitment to improving her community in San Jose and California as a whole. Isra has a strong lens toward equity that guides her work to improve the public's health, and I am confident she would bring that strength to the commission to support diversity, fairness, and inclusion in this realm. Isra's passion and drive make her someone that people want to have on their team; her spirited dedication and sound approach to solving complex challenges has served her in her work and will continue to as she explores this opportunity with the commission. Isra also shines in her analytical abilities, which I have always known her to use as a guidepost in her public health graduate studies, prior work, and current work. Her analytical skills position her to be ready to hit the ground running for the commission and use data to drive action to create fair and equitable maps for California's congressional districts. I enthusiastically support Isra's qualifications and fit to serve as a commission member.

Thank you for your support Talyah!

I've had the opportunity to work with Isra for nearly 10 years. Over this time, I've seen her dedication to improving her local community and state. She cares passionately about those in her community and is an incredible advocate for social justice and public health. Ms. Ahmad has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those in California. She understands the uniqueness of our state and the people who live her. As a result, she appreciate the diverse communities and how to thoughtfully engage all community members regardless of age, race/ethnicity, etc.

In addition to being a strong advocate, she is also well versed and trained to collect data and understand how to best respond to community needs.

Isra's experience, training, and her overall passion for creating positive change has resulted in health California communities. She regularly demonstrates strong communication, creativity in achieving her goals, and an eager desire to make this state a better place for all.

Thank you for your comment Kim! :)

I have had the pleasure of knowing Ms. Ahmad while she was a student in my Biostatistics and Epidemiology courses at San Jose State University. These courses required a strong understanding of quantitative concepts and she excelled with confidence and ease. Ms. Ahmad went on and successfully completed her Masters in Epidemiology at UC Berkeley, further strengthening her research and analytical skills.
Ms. Ahmad possesses great interpersonal skills and communicates with a sense of calmness and thoughtfulness. Her involvement, commitment, and dedication of her time to serve her communities are admirable and demonstrate her potential to be a leader in her field.
I believe that Ms. Ahmad will be a valuable participant serving on the 2020 Citizen's Redistricting Commission. Her sensitivity and competency in understanding our multicultural and diverse environment combined with a strong understanding of data science will allow Ms. Ahmad to achieve the goal of drawing fair and equitable maps for California's congressional districts.

Thank you for your comment Dr. Pham!