Shireen Malekafzali (she/her) joined the County Manager’s Office in April 2021 as the County’s first chief equity officer. In that role, Shireen supports the County to build more equitable structures, policies, practices and procedures in order to advance equitable outcomes for our communities.

Shireen brings more than 20 years of experience advancing equity through the nonprofit, government and philanthropic sectors. Most recently, she served as health equity officer and previously as senior manager for the Policy, Planning and Equity Division of San Mateo County Health since 2013.  Prior to joining the County, Shireen was associate director at PolicyLink, a national racial and economic equity institute. She currently serves as vice chair of the Office of Health Equity at the California Department of Public Health, as board chair of Human Impact Partners, a national nonprofit focused on advancing equity, and board chair of the Social Justice Committee at TransForm, a regional organization focused on equitable development.

Shireen has a BS in environmental science and a Master of Public Health from San Francisco State University. Shireen lives in San Mateo County and has a passion for advancing a just democracy and loves snuggling with her two small children.