Meet Hillsboro's Community Engagement Manager: Rania Ayoub

Hillsboro OR

16 November, 2021

2:40 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Hillsboro: November 15, 2021 Hearing and including all community voices as part of the decision-making process is the focus of the City of Hillsboro's new Community Engagement Manager, Rania Ayoub. In this newly created position, Rania will work to help the organization meet the Hillsboro City Council's goals for equitable and accessible community engagement. Out of more than 100 applicants for the position, Rania was selected for her passion for building collaborative partnerships within the community and for building trust between community members and government. Rania is a familiar face to many Hillsboro students, families, and community partners. As Youth Workforce Development Coordinator for the City of Hillsboro, Rania has provided staff leadership for Hillsboro's Youth Advisory Council and workforce expertise for Hillsboro School District and Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Rania worked in community outreach and communications, including ten years of service with the Muslim Educational Trust. We asked Rania to share her thoughts on her new position and the work ahead. 1. When you think about our Hillsboro community, what stands out? Hillsboro is one of the most diverse and dynamic cities in Oregon – and the community is steadily growing. I see beauty and richness in our diversity. Diverse communities like Hillsboro provide an opportunity for people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to connect and engage with each other, and these experiences create a positive effect on people's identities and our community as a whole. Living in Hillsboro when I first immigrated to Oregon, I experienced why residents are attracted to the Silicon Forest. Hillsboro is the center for regional commerce and agriculture in Washington County, which in turn makes it a great place to live, work, and play. 2. Your role will connect you with residents and community partners. What are you hoping to hear during your conversations? Connecting with community members, including community partners, is essential to fostering an inclusive community. Community partners offer unique and important insights into the challenges and opportunities facing residents, and this will help the City of Hillsboro improve our approaches to integrating equity into the fabric of the City's delivery of public services. For over a decade, I have been leading with my core values in cultivating meaningful engagement and broadening participation in local government throughout the region. I deeply value the relationships I have established with community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, businesses, schools, foundations, and service providers. Engaging in these relationships has helped me successfully advance inclusion and elevate voices of communities of color. I look forward to fostering new long-term relationships with diverse communities to empower people to impact community issues and provide solutions. 3. How do you describe community engagement? Community engagement is effectively involving the community in the decision-making process on issues impacting them through information sharing, two-way dialogue, collaboration, and partnerships. When the communities we serve have a meaningful voice, we will make better decisions and create more responsive programs and services. 4. What part of your lived experience led you to develop a deep interest in community engagement? As a female, a Muslim, and an immigrant of color, my lived experience gives me a deep understanding of barriers to inclusion and engagement on different societal levels. From early on in my career, I was invested in our community and committed to improving outcomes for historically marginalized communities and elevating the voices of minorities. My identity strengthens my abilities to create and sustain relationships, build trust, and remove barriers to engagement. 5. What would you like people to know about you? I have been fortunate to live in eight different countries, and I appreciate the strength of diversity. I am committed to advancing inclusion and elevating voices of communities of color. I look forward to taking an active role in developing an effective community engagement framework, which will integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and sustain intentional, long-lasting collaboration with communities the City of Hillsboro serves. This press release was produced by the City of Hillsboro. The views expressed here are the author's own.