Ather Tirmizi is a distinguished community leader and executive with over 12 years of experience driving civic engagement, political advocacy, and social impact across New York and nationally. As Executive Director of the American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) since 2018, Ather has been instrumental in building political infrastructure within the Pakistani American and broader Muslim American communities, developing legislative strategies across multiple states, and championing electoral participation.
In 2020, Ather served as National Director of Pakistanis for Biden, orchestrating grassroots mobilization efforts across 18 states and coordinating over 1,100 volunteers to reach 135,000 voters. This historic effort demonstrated the Pakistani American community’s growing influence as a pivotal voting bloc in American politics and contributed to securing victory in the 2020 presidential election and the critical Georgia runoff elections.
Prior to his national political work, Ather served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker in the New York State Assembly from 2013 to 2018, where he managed legislative operations, policy development, and constituent services while building relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
Ather’s career began in healthcare, where he spent 6 years managing programs at Catholic Health Services, overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and providing critical support to individuals with disabilities. This foundation in direct service continues to inform his commitment to fighting food insecurity, improving healthcare accessibility, and promoting civic engagement.
Ather brings an entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision to every endeavor. He resides in New York, where he continues his work building bridges between communities and creating pathways to political empowerment.