From Outreach to Real Change: Community Resilience in the Climate Crisis Conservation Cafe on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 7pm will include a panel discussion with Nature Forward partners from Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition and Washington Interfaith Network about climate justice issues that intersect with the livelihoods of residents in DC. The panel discussion will identify issues, connect policy priorities and share solutions and challenges in understanding the role of community organizations in spreading awareness and encouraging fellow residents to take action.  Speakers will be: Speakers will be:  Sherice Muhammed (Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition W7RHCC), Stacy Lucas (Community Project Manager), and Sidra Siddiqui (Washington Interfaith Network, Community Organizer).

Join us in person on Wednesday, December 4th @ 7 pm at the Marshall Heights Community Development in DC.

Speaker Bios:

Sherice A. Muhammad 
She is an advocate for public education, environmental justice, community development, transportation and infrastructure and regulatory affairs. She serves the greater Ward 7 communities as a public witness before the D.C. Council, D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT), Office of Planning and the Zoning Committee. 

Sherice serves on the Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition (RHCC), the first resilience hub in the District of Columbia, in partnership with the FH Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center (FCEC), the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) and Harrison Institute for Public Law | Georgetown University, a working environmental justice group engaged environmental literacy, build out response for steady, disruption and recovery states, climate change and its impacts on varying communities in the District of Columbia and the establishment of the local economy. She is part of the Community Emergency Response Training Team (CERT) educating residents on emergency disaster preparedness. 

A strong ally of public education, Sherice served three consecutive terms as Chair for the 
McKinley Technology High School DCPS Local School Advisory Team (LSAT), DC Public 
Schools’ Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Board, and the Innovation and Systems Improvement Advisory Board (ISI). She currently serves on McKinley Tech’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) as Compliance Officer and Chair of the Student Enrichment Committee. Sherice formerly co-founded and worked on a non-profit which focused on STEM Education advocacy and was the recipient of the 2022 Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She continues her work in prevention with youth in Ward 7. 

Sherice is a former ANC Commissioner having served three consecutive terms as Chair of 
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D [prior to 2020 redistricting], a hyperlocal and grassroots government agency serving the northeast corridor of Ward 7 in Washington, DC. Under her leadership, the Commission, increased in community engagement and outreach, interfaced with the Office of the District of Columbia Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, provided research and community data to the D.C. Council to shape policy for legislation, and led in complex constituent-developer negotiations for Community Benefit Agreements. 

A graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Clark Atlanta University, Sherice is a social media digital content creator, multi-genre music connoisseur and historian, who enjoys practicing on her bass guitar, running 5K and 10K races including the Bay Bridge Run, dance, arts and culture, events management, and a foodie. Her daughter is a certified doula and completing her senior year at Winston Salem State University. She resides in the Deanwood community in Ward 7.

Stacy Lucas  

Dedicated and resourceful Community Project Manager with ten years (+) experience planning, implementing, and overseeing community-based projects and initiatives. Proven ability to engage and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including community members, local organizations, and government agencies, to achieve project goals. Skilled in project management, team leadership, assisting in grant writing, and budget management. Strong background in community development, community outreach, and program evaluation. 

In addition to working in Event Management since 2013, I have experience planning, coordinating, and executing a diverse range of events, including corporate functions, weddings, charity galas, festivals, special events, and conferences. I am adept at managing all aspects of event planning, from initial concept to completion, ensuring seamless execution and exceeding client expectations. Project management is the application I use for community outreach activities and engagement. I am committed to fostering sustainable community growth and development through innovative, creative, and impactful projects and special events. 

Sidra Siddiqui

Sidra (she, her, hers) joined WIN in 2020 as her first foray into community organizing with the goal of building a team of multiracial, multi-income, and multifaith leaders working at the intersection of climate and housing, and racial justice. Before community organizing, Sidra worked with asylum seekers, providing trauma-informed therapeutic care. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Richmond and an M.A. in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration with a concentration in Global Social Development from the University of Chicago.