Basim Elkarra has served for over a decade as the executive director for the Sacramento office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nonprofit whose mission to protect civil liberties, encourage dialogue and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. In 2005, Elkarra founded a youth leadership program at the California State Capitol. He also organizes an annual College and Career Fair at Sacramento State. 

Elkarra has served on over a dozen boards and committees over the past decade and recently chaired Los Rios Community College’s Bond Oversight Committee. In 2014, he was featured on the cover of Comstock’s magazine as a young professional who is shaping the future of the Capital Region. Basim Elkarra holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum and the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program. Elkarra and his wife, Sarah, live in Sacramento with their four children.