Dr. Hirah Mir oversees a workforce of 20,000 across 1,000+ locations, serving over individuals with disabilities. She leads initiatives on cultural and linguistic competence and a 5-year strategic plan focusing on communication, service access, workforce, infrastructure, community engagement, provider stability, and fiscal matters. As Director of the DEI Office, she manages over 100 projects, including language access for 60+ languages and community engagement, especially for underserved groups like new Americans, rural, low-income, and indigenous communities. With a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, she has been with OPWDD for 8.5 years, contributing to research on service systems and workforce development, and co-founding NYS’s Community of Practice for Cultural and Linguistic Competence. Her advocacy roots in her own immigrant experience, receiving public assistance and overcoming poverty, which she highlights in the documentary American Nightmare/American Dream. |
