Meet Our Team

Our Board Members

Musab Drake

Board DeafPlus Member

Riss Leitzke

Board DeafBlind Member

Malika Dahir

Board Member at Large

Regina Daniels

Board Member at Large

Meet Our Team

Our Board Members

A Black woman with shoulder length black hair, wearing a white shirt and a blue blazer.

Regina Daniels

Board Member at Large

Nimo Jama

Nimo Jama

Board Outreach Coordinator

Musab Drake

Musab Drake

Board DeafPlus Member

Aisha Dualy

Aisha Dualy

Board Chair

Malika Dahir

Malika Dahir

Board Member at Large

A white person, they/them, with short brownish/blonde hair with clear rimmed glasses wearing a black turtleneck shirt. Image is inside a blue square box, with a yellow circle ring around the picture.

Riss Leitzke

Board DeafBlind Member

Jacques Freeman

Jacques Freeman

Aboard Vice Chair

Nubia Amina

Nubia Amina

Board ASL Interpreter

no user

Board Member

Board Member at Large

Our Staff

Valerie Shirley

Valerie Shirley

Executive Director

Asma Abdille

Asma Abdille

Assistant Director

Jessalyn Akerman-Frank

Jessalyn Akerman

Project Manager

Krista Machtmes

Krista Machtmes

Administrative Assistant

Ismail Ouassaddine

Ismail Ouassaddine

Marketing Manager

The Event is Free!

  • Picnic style lunch
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Rain jacket with hood or Ponchos (if raining)
  • Jacket or sweater (if cold)
  • Durable, close-toed shoes
  • Baseball cap or sun glasses
  • Sunscreen & Lip balm
  • Camera wrapped in padded, waterproof/plastic bag. (if you want to take photos.) If you get some good shots, enter them in our photo contest!

Date:– August 22, 2026
Time:– 10 AM to 2 PM
Location:– Bde Maka Ska – North Beach 2710 West Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55408

Register Now →