Samira joined the Illinois Environmental Council as the Energy Policy Director in the Spring of 2022, where she serves as IEC’s staff lead on energy, power sector, and decarbonization issues, as well as the implementation of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. In addition, she supports IEC’s zero-waste and water programming. Samira holds various appointments including service as a Steering Committee member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and voting member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Climate Committee. As of 2024, Samira was appointed by Governor Pritzker to serve on the state’s Climate Jobs Advisory Council. Samira brings thoughtful leadership to her role and enjoys leveraging IEC’s partnerships to bridge technical expertise and decision-maker education.
Prior to joining IEC, Samira served as research & policy manager for the Chicago City Council Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, where she created and promoted the passage of environmental policies, including Chicago’s climate emergency declaration and updates to the ComEd Franchise Agreement. Samira was an early catalyst for the City to address extreme heat, flooding, land use, and siting issues. Prior to her work on the Committee, Samira led key initiatives for the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Office Sustainability Team. She was also a consultant with MIST Environment and an Assistant Program Manager for the 2019 CommonGround Chicago Conference.
Samira attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Double Minors in Environmental Science, Policy & Management, and Sustainability Studies. In 2021, she earned a Certification of Completion as a Fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute and trained with the Climate Reality Project in 2019. In her spare time, Samira enjoys exploring different neighborhoods, hiking, musical theater, and spending time with her family.