Roya Shahidi has been passionate about politics since arriving in the United States in 1977. As a college student during the Iranian hostage crisis, she understood why positive Iranian American representation is so critical to the wellbeing of the Iranian diaspora. As such, she has been a supporter of PAAIA’s work and mission over the years. In recent years, she helped organize PAAIA’s first regional Civic Engagement Initiative event at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. She has championed Iranian-American candidates such as Yassamin Ansari, Amir Farokhi, and many others in their pursuit of elected office.

She has a B.S. in Computer Science/Business  and an M.S. in Management from Georgia State University. She brings years  of executive leadership experience in banking and information systems. She ran operations, compliance, and IT management at Atlanta financial institutions. She currently serves on Excel Federal Credit Union’s board of directors. In that capacity, she ensures that the credit union is compliant with state and federal law, is implementing policies properly, and is in sound financial standing regarding its investments and liquidity requirements, among other responsibilities. She also serves as a liaison between the board and the supervisory committee responsible for selecting auditing firms and overseeing internal controls being in place by the credit union’s management.

As a member of CARE’s Atlanta Women’s Network, Roya has lobbied Members of Congress on Capitol Hill on behalf of the organization. In her personal life, she has been very invested in her daughters’ education, and was extensively involved in parent organizations during their schooling. In particular, it was important for her that the next generation of Iranian-Americans be proud of their heritage, and as such, she promoted inclusion of Iranian history and culture in school curriculum.

Roya lives in Atlanta with her husband, where they have been since 1982, and they have two daughters. Her eldest Neeki, who has recently moved to Washington, D.C. to start her law career, was a recipient of PAAIA’s Ansari Fellowship in 2018 during her undergraduate studies. The fellowship allowed Neeki to intern for Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) that summer. Roya is excited to join IAPAC and continue to support the Iranian-American community in this new role.