Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
ADRI JAYARATNE
Adri Jayaratne is Chief of Staff at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences where he serves as a strategist and advisor to the chair and leadership team. He leads community engagement and policy development efforts, helps oversee fundraising, faculty affairs and communications, and is closely involved in the department's core missions of patient care, research, education and community service.
Previously, Adri served for nearly twenty years in leadership roles in the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress. Most recently he was the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he served as the chief liaison to Congress and state and local elected officials, and a key advisor to the Secretary and the White House on strategy and policy related to labor issues. He led the work of a large staff and managed high-profile initiatives, working with business, non-profit and advocacy communities.
Thanks to his parents, Adri has always had a strong interest and passion around politics and advocacy. His mother was deeply engaged in activism and social justice, a tradition carried on from her family. His grandfather was the Sri Lankan (Ceylon at the time) Ambassador to the United States. Throughout high school and college Adri was involved in many different civic activities, leading to his decision to move to Washington, DC upon graduation from the University of Michigan.
Adri lives in Oakland, California with his wife and son.
