The Journeys of Muslim Americans in Public Service

Schedule

Saturday, March 18, 2023
11 a.m. Program
12 p.m. Q&A
12:15 p.m. Reception

Muslim Americans are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States, and also represent an increasing number of public servants across the country. The 2022 midterm elections were a watershed year for Muslim Americans running for office, with 83 candidates winning local, state, and federal elections across the country. In Texas, voters elected the first-ever Muslim state representatives, sending two Muslim legislators to Austin.

Join Asia Society Texas as we explore the journeys of two trailblazing Muslim American public servants, State Representative Dr. Suleman Lalani and District Court Judge Rabeea Collier, to understand their motivations for giving back to the community. They will share their thoughts on the qualities that exemplary public servants share and give advice for the next generation of public servant leaders.

About the Speakers

Representative Suleman Lalani, M.D. has been in private practice in the Sugarland and greater Houston area for over two decades. In the early 90s, he arrived in the United States from Pakistan to begin his medical career and has spent his career trying to close the gap in access to healthcare through his medical practice and charitable endeavors.

Rep. Lalani completed his fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine and has attended courses at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University College of Physicians. He is quadruple board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine; and is a Certified Medical Director by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-term Care. He is among an elite group of physicians nationwide with these qualifications. He has been recognized by the National Register of Who’s Who for Excellence in Geriatric Medicine.

Rep. Lalani has served in various leadership roles in professional, medical, faith, and nonprofit organizations. He has served as both an Ambassador to the United States Congress and as a board member for the Alzheimer’s Association. His interest in caring for his patients, especially the elderly, continues to lead him toward researching solutions to the common problems that elder members of the community face.

Rep. Lalani believes strongly in philanthropy and volunteer service. He served four years as Chairman of the Regional Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation USA, which operates under a mandate to alleviate global poverty and improve the quality of life for all. He is also involved with raising awareness and funds for the National MS Society and Alzheimer's Association. Locally he serves on the board of the Fort Bend Rainbow Room. This resource room is stocked with emergency and transitional supplies to meet the critical needs of Fort Bend County's abused and neglected children and adults. He also serves as President of the Board of the Exchange Club of Fort Bend, America's premier service club, working to make our communities better places to live.

In November 2022 Rep. Lalani was elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives. He represents House District 76 which encompasses parts of Fort Bend County Texas, including the cities of Sugar Land, Stafford, Richmond & Meadows Place, and was created during the 2021 Texas Redistricting process. Though serving his first term he was assigned to senior House Committees and serves on the Higher Education, Natural Resources, and Resolutions Calendars.

Rep. Lalani is married and has three children. In his leisure time he enjoys reading, painting, playing racquetball, cycling, and traveling.

Judge Rabeea Collier was elected as judge of the 113th District Court in 2018. Judge Collier is dual Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She was awarded the 2021 Jurist of the Year for the Texas Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the 2021 Distinguished Member Award by the South Asian Bar Association of Houston, and the 2022 Lois Prestage Woods Legacy of Justice Award by the Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law Alumni Association.

Judge Collier serves on the Curriculum Committee for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, which is comprised of approximately 15 judges that develop judicial education for all Texas judges. She also currently serves as an executive board member for the Association of District Judges and is a former board member of the Asian American Bar Association of Houston. Judge Collier also serves as the Chair of the Jury Committee for the Board of District Judges in Harris County, which manages and sets policies for the Harris County Jury System. Judge Collier previously served as board member and integrated the committees of many organizations.

Judge Collier believes that judicial integrity is the necessary requirement to uphold the sanctity of our laws. As judge, she demands that the law is followed in each case and judged on the merits of the case free from bias and prejudice.  As a native Houstonian, Judge Collier serves as your judge of the 113th Judicial District Court of Harris County.

Prior to the bench, Judge Collier represented individuals, non-profits, and small to publicly traded businesses in courthouses across Harris County for over a decade. She specialized in litigation, including commercial litigation, general contractual matters, consumer law, civil rights and deceptive trade practices. She handled approximately 250 matters, including appeals, in both state and federal court in various jurisdictions. For eight consecutive years, Judge Collier received the Rising Star Award by Super Lawyers. She served as a board member of the Harris County Democratic Lawyers' Association and Association of Women Attorneys. Judge also served on the Women in the Profession Committee of the State Bar of Texas. She had also previously served as a co-chair of the Solo Practitioners Section of the Houston Young Lawyers Association. She is a current Silver Life member of the Houston Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

 She is a graduate of Kingwood High School in Houston, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas. Rabeea is married to Robert Collier, an attorney. They have two sons and live in North Houston.

About the Moderator

Matt Mahan is the 66th Mayor of San José, California – the nation's 10th largest city and the capital of Silicon Valley. First elected to the San Jose City Council in 2020, Matt led the charge for government transparency and accountability, proposed innovative solutions for homelessness and advocated for mental health reform. After just two years of being in office, Matt was elected by voters to represent the entire city in 2022.  

Prior to his political career, Matt was a member of the business world, where he built and grew two leading civic tech startups. The first, Causes, was an early Facebook application that enabled over 180 million people in over 150 countries to support nonprofits, volunteer in their communities, and pursue issue advocacy. Over the course of five years, Matt worked his way up from Director of Business Development to COO and eventually CEO. He went on to co-found and lead as CEO a startup called Brigade, which was the world’s first voter network: a nonpartisan platform for voters to discuss issues, advocate to their elected officials, and vote for candidates who reflect their values.  

Even as a business leader, Matt was deeply involved in the community. He has served on a number of neighborhood and civic boards, including the City of San José’s Clean Energy Advisory Commission, the Almaden Valley Community Association, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the District 10 Leadership Coalition, Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and San José Rotary. 

Matt is also a former public-school teacher through the Teach for American program, worked in economic development in Bolivia via a Michael C. Rockefeller fellowship, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in Social Studies in 2005. He lives in San Jose with his wife, Silvia, and their two young children, Nina and Luke.   

About the Muslim Series

Through a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes Asia Society’s breadth of programming opportunities, this series explores the artistic talents and stories of American Muslims to inspire our community to better understand one another.For information about sponsoring the Muslim Series and other programs like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry, Director of Development, at SJafry@asiasociety.org or 713.496.9939.

Series Sponsors

Eddie Allen and Chinhui Juhn
The Bahalim Family
Shahzad Bashir Family
Tariq and Dr. Uzma Iqbal
Saniah and Hyder Kazimi
Drs. Monira and Azam Kundi
Drs. Basheer and Saleha Khumawala
Shazma and Arshad Matin
Errol Pinto and Nazia Mohammed
Cartha and Nameer Siddiqui | Goldman Sachs
Selma and Mustafa Tameez

Asia Society Texas Business & Policy Programs, Endowed by

Huffington Foundation

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and United Airlines. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Houston Endowment. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

Business & Policy Presenting Sponsors

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.