First elected to the Washington County Board of Commissioners in 2020, Nafisa made history as the first Immigrant & Refugee, the first Black, and the first Muslim Commissioner in the County. Prior to being elected, Nafisa worked in public health, including working for the American Red Cross, Upstream Public Health, and in local government operations preventing the spread of COVID-19. Across these roles, she’s worked to make our communities stronger and healthier, including advocating for and passing policies that increase health outcomes.

In addition to her work in public health, Nafisa owned a small business based in Beaverton. Through her business, she helped local nonprofits and public and private sector clients grow and expand for their future. Inspired by her experience as a refugee, Nafisa also founded the Pan African Festival, where she unites Oregonians from all backgrounds to celebrate cultural, economic and social vitality and support emerging, small businesses.

Prior to being elected, Nafisa was already an active member of the community and was honored by the Portland Business Journal on their Forty Under Forty List. She served on the Clean Water Services Advisory Commission, the Board of the Five Oaks Museum (formerly Washington County Museum), the Oregon Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, and on the Board of community-based dental services nonprofit Dental3.

A resident of Aloha, Nafisa has lived in Oregon for over 25 years and loves raising her three sons here.