Speaker

Samira is passionate about leading and evolving impactful diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. She has 25 years of experience in DEI, economic policy, international economic development, and community development. She joined the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in 2018 as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Economics Department. In 2020 she was promoted to Vice President for DEI. Before joining CUNA, she worked for Forward Community Investments, a CDFI focused on advancing racial equity in the state of Wisconsin. Earlier, Samira worked at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C., as their Senior Trade Analyst for Labor. Before that, she had an eight-year tenure at Washington-based DAI as an international economic development specialist. Samira currently serves on the Summit Credit Union Board of Directors, which works to advance equity in money for women. Samira was awarded the Credit Union Times Luminaries Award for DEI. Samira earned her Ph.D. in Political Economy and Public Policy and her M.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California.