Community Networking Initiative
A Project of Fajr Club
One Nation. Under God. - Why Community Service Matters
Speaker: Salim Patel
Salim Patel is serving his fifth year in public office on the Passaic Board of Education. Professionally, he works in corporate finance for a major retailer which keeps him up to date on business perspectives and in touch with numerous initiatives for the students he serves. On the Board of Education, he serves alongside 8 other commissioners to oversee a $360 million budget and the 6th largest school district in New Jersey. He is involved with the implementation of a district wide school uniform policy to help alleviate issues of bullying, peer pressure and gang activity. His future goals include establishing relationships with corporations to set up endowments, as well as identifying key federal and state grants for the school system. This past year he oversaw a $30 million investment in IT infrastructure that resulted in the deployment of Chromebook laptops for all 7th-10th grade students. Salim is a 2010-11 Fellow of USC CRCC's American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (AMCLI) and is the founder of SMILE, a non-profit focused on social services including food pantries, health clinics and senior care across New Jersey and Zakat Inspired, a domestic based zakat fund managed by SMILE dedicated to building community and alleviating poverty.