Community matters. Therefore, community service is important to me.
I inherited my passion for community service from my parents, both educators who dedicated their lives to the betterment of society. The saying “Think Global, Act Local” was a guiding principle throughout my childhood and I’ve carried this with me into my adult life.
I’m a firm believer in practicing what I preach, and I don’t hesitate to oppose injustices in our society, be it protesting on the front lines or working behind the scenes. I’m a fierce advocate for diversity and racial equity. Through my work in community advocacy and outreach, I’ve also had the opportunity to promote awareness for socially stigmatized issues like mental health and domestic violence. Additionally, I serve in several leadership roles for various socially responsible organizations.
The intersection of my passion and training uniquely situates me to build bridges of dialogue and collaboration between the community and professional services. This overlap spurred me to become a licensed community organizer in addition to my clinical licensure. I bring my community organizing skills into my professional practice because I believe that community voices need to be involved in community decision-making.
As part of my ongoing commitment to community development and empowerment, I co-founded the Jotno Foundation, grounded in the belief that communities thrive when they have equitable access to resources, quality care, and meaningful opportunities. Additionally, my husband and I established the IslaMeah Family Foundation to support initiatives that advance health, economic mobility, and overall community well-being. Through this work, we hope to foster a lasting legacy of service—starting within our own family and inspiring future generations.