Dr. Sarah Sayeed

Dr. Sarah Sayeed serves as Chair and Executive Director of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, where she leads work to strengthen civic participation and build a more inclusive public square for all New Yorkers. A Bronx resident, Dr. Sayeed has spent nearly two decades advancing civic engagement, interfaith collaboration, and community-centered public service. Before joining CEC, she served as Senior Advisor in the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, where she worked with New York City's diverse Muslim communities to deepen civic participation. Her background also includes seven years at the Interfaith Center of New York, where she brought grassroots religious leaders together with secular and city agencies, and helped support collaboration between Catholic and Muslim social service providers.

Dr. Sayeed has also taught communications at Baruch College's School of Public Affairs and has been active in organizations supporting interfaith relations and Muslim women's public engagement. She holds a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Communications from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.