FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@sikhcoalition.org
Sikh Coalition Announces Appointment of Co-Interim Executive Directors
January 22, 2024 — Today, the Sikh Coalition is pleased to formally announce the appointment of two Co-Interim Executive Directors, Harman Singh and Graham F. West, following the tenure of former Executive Director Anisha Singh. Singh and West will collaborate to manage the day-to-day core programmatic work of the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the country as the Board of Directors conducts their search for the next Executive Director.
“We thank Anisha Singh for her service to both the organization and to the Sikh community during her tenure as executive director,” said Narinder Singh, Sikh Coalition Executive Board Chairman. “As the Sikh Coalition enters a new chapter, we are pleased to have Harman and Graham step into these new leadership roles. They will bring their years of experience and dedication to the organization to bear as they lead the staff and move our mission forward through new challenges and opportunities.”
Harman Singh joined the Sikh Coalition in December 2021 as Senior Manager of Education and transitioned into his role as a Policy and Education Director in July of last year. He will continue to manage the Sikh Coalition’s federal, state, and local-level advocacy work, as well as our educational efforts from our decades long campaign to include Sikhi in state social studies standards to the creation and dissemination of free classroom resources about the Sikh faith and community.
“Graham and I are excited to work together to lead the organization as we continue to defend and expand Sikh civil rights in the United States and push for a generational shift in Sikh awareness across the country,” said Harman Singh. “Earlier this month, our team met in person for a strategic planning session focused on our major 2024 initiatives, and we are looking forward to making strides on making schools safer and more inclusive, combating workplace discrimination, Sikh civic engagement, and more.”
Graham F. West joined the Sikh Coalition as the Media and Communications Director in 2019 and became Programs Director in July of last year. In addition to continuing to supervise the organization’s communications work, Graham will now also oversee the community development team and, in general, coordinate cross-programmatic projects and needs for the entire organization.
“It is a great privilege to be able to serve the sangat in this new role,” said Graham West. “Harman and I are committed to continuing to meet the community where they are and build the Sikh Coalition’s robust portfolio of work around the resources and support that individuals and gurdwaras need. None of our efforts would be possible without the support, involvement, and investment of sangat members across the country, and we remain grateful for their partnership in our shared work.”
In their first days in this role, Singh and West have worked with Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy to provide a briefing on ‘Protecting Sikh Communities from Hate and Transnational Repression’ and submitted written testimony for the record for the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Hearing on the same subject. They also continue to move forward numerous projects in collaboration with their more than 20 colleagues at the Sikh Coalition across the fields of legal, advocacy, community development, education, and media engagement work.
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If you are interested in speaking to Singh, West, or other members of the Sikh Coalition team about the organization’s 2024 initiatives, please email media@sikhcoalition.org.
