Orlando Dickson, Civic Educator

A recent graduate of University at Buffalo School of Law, Orlando is a nine-year Army veteran and a 2017 Open Buffalo Emerging Leader. Orlando joined PPG as a part-time research associate in summer 2018, when he interviewed 100 tenants and 20 landlords in Buffalo Housing Court to study the evictions process. He contributes to PPG's work on lead exposure prevention and healthy housing and was recently certified as a community health worker. Orlando also serves as a group leader for the Breaking Barriers Youth Leadership Council sponsored by Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative and Say Yes Buffalo.

Orlando will serve as PPG's Civic Educator to teach community groups and residents how public policy is made and how they can be a part of it. He will create a participatory civic education curriculum based on our Public Policy 101 training and our web-based Citizen Toolkit. Through interactive workshops for our partners and local groups, Orlando will further the reach of PPG's research and increase the engagement of residents young and old on the policies that most impact their lives.

Zainab Saleh, Program Coordinator

Zainab holds a Masters degree in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester. Most recently, Zainab worked at Open Buffalo as a Data Specialist to develop innovative methods of capturing data for grassroots issue campaigns and leadership development initiatives. Before that, Zainab worked at Buffalo Arts Studio in development and marketing. Her interests include finding creative ways that technology might support nonprofits and their work. A former film and art history educator, she is actively involved in the fight for equal opportunity and representation for artists of color and those from frontline communities.

As Program Coordinator, Zainab will use her talents to advance our research, programs, and policy advocacy; manage partner outreach and communications; and contribute to development and fundraising. Zainab will also draw on her background to help us further integrate the arts in our community engagement and policy work.