As Deputy Director, Homayra Yusufi works closely with the Executive Director to advance PANA’s community-driven mission and goals. She leads PANA’s policy advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels.
Homayra has over a decade of experience protecting the civil rights of immigrants, refugee and Muslim communities. Prior to joining PANA, she was a Senior Policy Strategy Consultant working on a range of policy campaigns. From 2012 until 2016 she was a Senior Policy Advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties, where she developed the organization’s immigration policy platform and led its immigrant rights integrated advocacy team.
Homayra was born in Afghanistan and became a refugee at the age of two. Her family immigrated to the United States where they rebuilt their home in San Diego. She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelors in Political Science and received her Masters in Public Policy from UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.
As a proud mother of two daughters, Homayra works tirelessly to build a better world for their future. She currently serves on the boards of Pillars of the Community and the San Diego Afghan Connections and Cultural Center.